The eventual winner cut out the early running with Fundamentalist and was left a clear leader when that horse fell at the sixth-last.

His main problem after that was Take The Stand, who ran loose after unseating Tony Dobbin at the eighth fence, but Timmy Murphy was always alert to the possibility of being taken out and once he got clear of Take The Stand, the 2-1 favourite stayed on well to beat My Will by six lengths, with Fondmort another two lengths away in third. The victory saw Pipe's charge's odds cut to 25-1 from 50-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"Timmy gave him a great ride. All the credit must go to Martin for getting him back and he will be off to the Festival now, although I wouldn't know what race he will be going for, " Our Vic's owner David Johnson said. "As soon as he jumped the first I thought he might run well, he looked happy all the way and the fourth [It Takes Time] ran a good race too."

Don't be Shy then landed Martin Pipe a superb double when landing the second big race on the card, the Levy Board Game Spirit Chase, seeing off the challenge of Armaturk and Mister McGoldrick.

Elsewhere, Ossmoses ploughed through the Haydock Park mud to land the £125,000 Red Square Vodka Gold Cup and provide Don Forster with by far and away his biggest ever success. The extended three and a half mile test was a keenly-contested affair with runners from the top stables of Paul Nicholls, Martin Pipe and Philip Hobbs. But it was Forster's bold-jumping grey who took their measure with a fine staying performance.

What A Native, the 4-1 favourite, was pulled up before two out and the wellfancied Joaaci came to grief at the last. Forster, who trains "just half a dozen" horses, was understandably thrilled, even though slightly surprised, with the outcome.

At Wincanton, leading English Grand National fancy Silver Birch was beaten out of the places in a listed handicap chase as All in the Stars landed the spoils at 8-1, with Celtic Son coming in second and Horus third. At Uttoxeter, Our Armageddon showed signs of a return to form when landing the Singer and Friedlander Handicap Chase ahead of He's the Guv'nor.

Meanwhile, back home in Ireland, Macs Joy boosted his Smurfit Champion Hurdle claims with a smooth victory in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park.

The 2-5 shot, trained by Jessica Harrington, led at the third-last flight and was not troubled to win by four and a half lengths to complete a hat-trick on the day for his jockey Barry Geraghty.

Early leader Asian Maze stayed on in eyecatching fashion to claim second place after dropping back when headed, with Ground Ball in third and Essex last of the four runners. Harrington's charge saw his price cut to 41 from 5-1 for the blue riband at Cheltenham, while at the same time the runner-up was brought in to 6-1 from 8-1 for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Geraghty had earlier struck on Forget The Past at 9-4 for Michael O'Brien in the Red Mills Chase.