Crambo repeated his victory of last year when grimly holding on to win a second Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
Since his victory in the race 12 months ago, his career had been in danger of coming off the rails, having disappointed at Cheltenham and Aintree.
Trainer Fergal O’Brien had wanted him to reappear at Newbury last month but he was not quite right, so it meant that he was having to take on race-fit rivals in a Grade One on his seasonal return.
Sent off at 9/1, Crambo had plenty to do jumping the second last before his stamina kicked in.
The race had been taken along by Beauport, better known as a chaser, and as he was given such an easy lead, at the second-last flight it appeared he had slipped the field.
He was still in front jumping the last, but perhaps cleared that obstacle just a bit big, which gave Crambo the chance to draw upsides.
Once Johnny Burke had mastered him, there was a new danger, as Henry de Bromhead’s Hiddenvalley Lake put down the final challenge, but he just failed by a head. Beauport stuck on for third, with The Wallpark fourth.
The favourite Strong Leader was one of the first beaten and never looked like winning.
Valiant Victtorino lifts Silver Cup trophy again
Charlie Deutsch and Venetia Williams notched yet another big winner when Victtorino was produced to lead right on the line to win the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase for the second successive year.
He was sent off the 5/2 favourite having caught the eye in finishing third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, despite making several jumping errors that day.
While his jumping was not foot perfect again, Victtorino did save his best leap for last, when it really mattered.
The pace had been relentless throughout, with three horses helping set it in Trelawne, The Changing Man and Threeunderthrufive.
While that trio were exerting themselves, Deutsch, riding full of confidence after big race wins on Royale Pagaille, Martator, Gemirande and Djelo already this season, was happy to sit detached from the main group.
He gradually moved into contention and with three fences to jump he was fourth, with by now just The Changing Man out in front.
Running down to the last, it was all going to come down to the jumping and Deutsch saw a beautiful stride, which Victtorino agreed with, and they landed running, helping them win by half a length.
It was the second time this season Joe Tizzard’s The Changing Man had been denied in a valuable Saturday event by Williams, having come off second best in the Rehearsal Chase behind Frero Banbou.
Jungle Boogie starts the Christmas party
Jungle Boogie clears a fence at Ascot
Jungle Boogie provided Henry de Bromhead and Darragh O’Keeffe with their first winner at Ascot in the Howden Graduation Chase.
The talented but extremely fragile 10-year-old made every yard of the running in what turned into quite an eventful affair.
Only four went to post, with just Iroko trained in the UK, while the others travelled over from Ireland.
Unfortunately for those who backed Iroko, they knew their fate early on, as upon jumping the first fence he collided with the errant Fil Dor in mid-air, giving Jonjo O’Neill Jr no chance.
Jungle Boogie took the field along but the pace was only sedate and clearly too slow for James Du Berlais, who was keen in the hands of Daryl Jacob and making mistakes.
The leader had travelled very well in the Gold Cup when last seen but failed to see out the trip at Cheltenham, and on the second circuit he began to jump more and more out to his left.
Formerly trained by Willie Mullins, he was unbeaten in a bumper, a maiden hurdle and a beginners chase, but having had only three runs in almost as many years for the Closutton handler, he then had over two years off before joining De Bromhead.
He has been sound since, though, and is clearly a talented performer, running out an easy eight-length winner.
Fiercely Proud holds off Kabral Du Mathan in Ladbrokes thriller
Fiercely Proud (left) held on to beat Kabral Du Mathan in a thrilling renewal of the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle at Ascot
Fiercely Proud came out on top in a nail-biting finish with Kabral Du Mathan to win the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle at Ascot.
Ben Pauling has always thought plenty of the five-year-old, but he was beginning to run out of excuses.
Having finished placed in a couple of graded novice hurdles last season, he was given a handicap rating of 129 but his season started in inauspicious fashion.
On his intended first run at Cheltenham in October, his jockey’s stirrup leather broke and he ran loose, meaning he was withdrawn, then in a competitive handicap at Ascot last month, he held every chance when falling two from home.
Fiercely Proud finished a respectable sixth in the Greatwood Hurdle but Pauling will have been staggered that after three intended runs, he was rated lower than he started the season.
That meant he was still dangerously treated, though, and when the previously unbeaten Kabral Du Mathan came upsides for a battle after the last, Fiercely Proud just had that little bit extra for Kielan Woods and prevailed by a short head.
Woods had previously been Pauling’s stable jockey but he chose to keep his job as retained rider for the Megsons, who moved their horses away from Pauling last season.
Family affair as Thank You Ma’am scores for Nicholls team
Olive Nicholls aboard Thank You Ma’am for her mother Georgie
Young rider Olive Nicholls kept it in the family with a first Ascot victory as Thank You Ma’am came out on top in the Thames Materials Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Riding for her mother Georgie against a field which included a rival trained by her father Paul, Nicholls took up a prominent position on the chestnut as he looked to break his duck after finishing second on six occasions.
The duo made all of the running, settling into a lovely rhythm with a neat round of jumping to take the final bend in the lead.
No one could land a blow on the run to the line, and it was the 11/4 favourite who strode to a seven-and-a-half-length success to give the mother and daughter partnership even more reason to celebrate this Christmas.
Gary and Josh Moore’s Kotmask then prevailed in the Howden Handicap Chase, justifying favouritism at 13/8 under Caoilin Quinn.
The six-year-old had run well twice at the track already this term without winning, but bettered those efforts to score by a length and three quarters, despite a slow jump at the last.