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L'Ami Serge and Barry Geraghty on their way to victory at Ascot yesterday PICTURE:DAVID
DAVIES/PA
Nicky Henderson's four-year-old is 12-1 with Coral after he comfortably landed the three-runner Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle.
The even-money favourite looked a star in the making as he followed up his Newbury success when taking the two-mile contest by seven lengths from Killultagh Vic, after his market rival Emerging Market fell at the second-last flight.
"He's good and he's grown up a lot from Newbury," said Henderson. "The great thing about him is he has a lot of experience in France.
"He ran a stack of times and it was surprising he didn't get his head in front, given the way he goes.
"He is an out-and-out two-miler and is no slouch. I suppose we will go for the Supreme. It wouldn't hurt to go left-handed. That's why we thought about the Challow – if he has a bias, it is going left.
"If there's a two-mile trial at Cheltenham (Trials Day), we'll go there."
L'Ami Serge's rider Barry Geraghty completed a 33-1 double on the Andrew Balding-trained Supasundae (16-1) in the Ascot Underwriting Championship Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
The huge Galileo gelding travelled well throughout and lengthened away in the closing stages to record a two-and-a- quarter length success from Yarnworth.
Geraghty said: "He did it well. He picked up well from four furlongs out. I'd never sat on him before, but he ran on well and I'm delighted."
Geraghty and Henderson were out of luck with Josses Hill in the Mitie Novices' Chase. Sent off 10-11 favourite to make a winning debut over fences, Josses Hill made several mistakes and had to play second fiddle to the Nicholls-trained Ptit Zig (6-4).
The five-year-old, who had winning form at the top level over hurdles in France last season, had the benefit of two successful runs over fences and put that experience to good use, running out an impressive nine-length winner.
Ptit Zig was given an 8-1 quote for the JLT Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival from Coral, who also make him the same price for the Racing Post Arkle.
"He jumped really well today. His experience was not lost on him," said Nicholls.
"Sam (Twiston-Davies) gave him a kick in the belly two out and he took off. He's a proper horse. He won his Grade One in France last year and ran well in a Champion Hurdle, and ran well at Aintree, but he's not that pacey a horse. We've always looked for him to go chasing.
"He is only five and he has so much improvement to come, physically and mentally. He will be entered in races over two miles or two-and-a-half miles. You wouldn't want to run him over two miles on fast ground. Everyone goes on about Cheltenham, but it is not the be all and end all.
"I haven't thought beyond today. He could possibly go for the Dipper Novices' Chase at Cheltenham over two miles and five furlongs.
"The further he goes the better he might be. I see him as a middle-distance horse who could drop back in trip."
Batavir (5-2 favourite) was very well supported to land the Mitie Handicap Hurdle and David Pipe's representative did not let his supporters down, romping to an easy four-length win from Spartan Angel under Tony McCoy.
"He's a nice little horse and it wasn't complicated – they gave me an easy lead. I hoped he'd get this trip and he's done it nicely," said the champion jockey
Trainer James Evans admitted he could afford to "dream a little" after Desilvano (3-1) followed up his Market Rasen bumper success in the Two Circles "National Hunt" Maiden Hurdle by a length and a quarter from Bally Beaufort under Liam Treadwell.
The Nick Mitchell-trained Dance Floor King (10-3) was foot perfect in the Champagne Bollinger Novices' Limited Handicap Chase as he defied a 13lb penalty.
