Punters who ignored the Frenchman's warnings over recent bad weather affecting the fitness of his horses were cheering as Innox ran out a two-and-a-half-length victor over stablemate L'Ami while in the RPSport No 1 for Sports Betting Adonis Juvenile Hurdle Kasbah Bliss took the honours for the French trainer.

The 8-1 winner was partnered by champion jockey Tony McCoy and was chased home by top-weight L'Ami, who ran a fine trial for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup as he stayed on under Doumen's stable jockey Arnaud Duchene. Innox heads next for the John Smith's Grand National.

There was a dramatic moment at the last where Risk Accessor . . . staying on in fifth . . . crashed out through the wing giving his rider Noel Fehily a nasty scare. Horse and jockey were quickly on their feet, however.

McCoy, dashing off to Chepstow after weighing-in, was delighted with his mount.

"I had to get after him a bit earlier than I wanted, but the big thing about him was he was always going to stay.

"Mr Doumen said he wasn't 100 per cent certain about his fitness because he wasn't sure about some of his horses. But he was fit enough.The Grand National is a long way off, but I'm glad I've ridden a good winner for Mr McManus."

Doumen was delighted with the performance of both his horses. "It was not at all my intention to run L'Ami here under top weight, but I had wanted to run in the Aon at Newbury and that was called off and I needed to get a run into him, " he said.

"Arnaud gave him a good ride. He got him clear on the outside and did not use his whip too much. Despite all of the difficulties we have had to train with the weather, they have come and run well.

"Mr McManus dreams of having a good chance at Aintree and after this horse's seventh in the Grand National last year it has always been the plan to go back. He might give Cheltenham a miss and go straight to Aintree now."

Doumen and Duchene had already struck on the card when Kasbah Bliss leapt up the betting for next month's JCB Triumph Hurdle with a length and a half victory on his first British run.

Duchene brought the winner gradually into the race and got the better of a battle with favourite Blazing Bailey by a length and a half . . . the first two having had the race to themselves from the second-last.

Senorita Rumbalita outsprinted her rivals to earn a crack at either the Cheltenham or Aintree Festivals as she took the opening event on the card. The winner of a valuable bumper at Aintree last season, she earned some more black type with victory in the Grade Two Anglo Irish Bank Commercial Property Lending Novices' Hurdle at odds of 11-2.

She was brought widest of all in the home straight to lead close home and deny favourite Mister Quasimodo by a length and a quarter.

Trainer Alan King revealed that walking the course with jockey Robert Thornton before racing had seen them agree to come wide in the straight for the best of the ground. Bookmakers cut her odds for the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle on the back of this performance. with VC Bet going 14-1 from 25-1.