The six-year-old, who was completing a double for Ruby Walsh and Paul Nicholls, was having a first try at the threemile trip but travelled supremely well throughout to cruise home by 17 lengths.

Beef Or Salmon stayed on to finished second . . . as he did 12 months ago . . . while L'Ami was third.

Outsider Ollie Magern set out to make all in the £200,000 event, with Iris's Gift also taking up a prominent position while Walsh elected to hunt round in fourth. Last year's winner Kingscliff was also in the front rank but started to find life difficult on the second circuit and quickly dropped out as Walsh maintained his watching brief.

Coming to the third-last, Iris's Gift tried to challenge but lacked the necessary toe as Kauto Star cruised up into second. Taking it up at the last fence with a tremendous leap, Kauto Star powered away without Walsh having to get at all serious.

VC Bet make Kauto Star a 7-4 chance for the Stan James King George VI Chase on St Stephen's Day and a 51 shot for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

The victory sets up a possible £1million windfall for connections if Kauto Star can take the King George and then the Gold Cup.

Nicholls said: "If we had got beat we would have got a fair bit of stick, but he has answered everything himself really.

"After he ran at Aintree, I had a private conversation with Ruby and I said 'this horse will win a Gold Cup possibly. He's not a Champion Chase horse'.

"He agreed with me, but we wanted to prove he stays first and that's why we came here and then go on to Kempton [for the King George]."

Michael Hourigan was satisfied with Beef Or Salmon.

He said: "We are very, very pleased. He was always on the stretch really and he just did what he does best. He's a galloper and he just keeps on galloping.

"The Lexus will be next, but he might have a spin over hurdles first sometime in December just to freshen him up."

Meanwhile, dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace stamped his class on the Ascot card as he cruised home in the Grade Two Coral Ascot Hurdle.

Dessie Hughes' nine-yearold finished third at the Festival last year and has been slashed in price for a hattrick of wins after coming home hard on the bridle in the near two-and-a-half mile race.