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Yanworth looked every inch a performer of the highest class when he cruised home in the Bathwick Tyres Plymouth Novices' Hurdle at Exeter.

Last seen finishing fourth in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, the Alan King-trained five-year-old barely had to break sweat to take the two-mile-one-furlong prize.

Having sat handily for much of the race, the 4-11 favourite pressed on with chief market rival Welsh Shadow on the run down to the third-last. Although a little untidy over the last two flights, Barry Geraghty never had to get serious, with the pair coming home a comfortable length and a quarter clear.

King said: "He's a lovely horse and is a lot stronger this year. A second season staying in bumpers has done him the power of good. He seems to have developed more toe, hence the reason we have raced over two miles.

"I am not sure we will step him up yet. Maybe we will go small again and take another novice hurdle with a penalty then go step him up. There is no doubt he will get further but he has got the pace for two (miles) and I would not be in a rush to go further."

Yala Enki ground his rivals into submission in the Bathwick Tyres Bideford "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle.

Sent straight into the lead by Aidan Coleman, the five-year-old stayed there throughout to go one better than on his British debut at Uttoxeter back in March.

Duke Des Champs worked his way through runners, but the Venetia Williams-trained 4-1 shot was not for catching in the rain-softened conditions, with 16 lengths between the pair at the line.

Williams said: "He has been ready for a couple of weeks but we have been waiting for this soft ground and it promised to rain.

"Aidan (Coleman) made the running as he wanted to make sure it was a true-run race as he will stay three miles.

"I entered him in the three-mile fixed-brush race at Haydock, which is later this month, so I was kind of hoping he would win."