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Kandoo Kid provided trainer Paul Nicholls with a fourth victory in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.
The eight-year-old was relatively unexposed at staying distances and ended last season with two excellent efforts in handicap company, placing second in the 2m4f Greatwood Gold Cup at the track and a third in the Grade 3 Topham Chase at Aintree over the National fences.
It was favourite Broadway Boy who attempted to make all, jumping with flamboyancy until making a minor mistake with four-to-jump. Kandoo Kid, under a confident ride from Harry Cobden, was always in touch with the leaders before hitting the front at the second-last fence, staying on well to defy Broadway Boy by one-and-three-quarter lengths. Victtorino made up considerable late ground to snatch third place from the French raider, General En Chef.
In an interview with ITV Racing, winning jockey Harry Cobden said: "We'd thought this time last year he was made for a race like this. I didn't expect him to come here off a mark of 145 so the horse has just improved tremendously. The boss has trained him beautifully. You know, it's hard to get a horse ready without a run for a race like this and all credit goes to the team at home, he was easy to steer round.
"I don't think we went very fast, just a nice even gallop. It was sensibly controlled by Sammy [Twiston-Davies] on the front end who just went an even gallop. I was always happy, you know, this horse is not that quick, he keeps finding and he's really relished the three miles.
"I don't know, I suppose he'll have to go to another handicap, but just enjoy today first."
Previously successful with Denman and Strong Flow in the race, trainer Paul Nicholls added: "He needs to be fresh, hence why I didn't want to run him beforehand. He worked beautifully here three weeks ago and we've targeted this race from the minute he came in.
"I thought we'd get the trip, he hasn't run over the trip before but he's by Kapgarde – he was running in the Topham last year and stayed on strong. We can dream of the National with him now."
