Penzance staged a stunning performance at Kempton Park on Saturday, which rocketed him to favouritism for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Ladbrokes and VC Bet were sufficiently impressed by the seven-length triumph of Alan King's charge in the Racing Post '100 Favourite Racehorses' Juvenile Novices Hurdle to promote him to 6-1 for the championship event next month.
Penzance drifted before starting 10-11 favourite, even though his cause had been greatly eased by the absence of Etendard Indien, but throughout the race Robert Thornton oozed confidence.
Approaching the final flight the half-brother to Soviet Song quickened impressively away from Amarula Ridge.
In completing a double for King, earlier successful with Crystal D'Ainay, Penzance established himself as the one they all have to beat in the Triumph.
After Ladbrokes slashed his price in half, King said: ''I'm not surprised they have - he's done it really well. With three weeks to go to the Festival it was just what he wanted, to give him that bit more experience.
''I wasn't that much concerned about the ground because it was pretty testing when he won at Taunton. He'll be my only runner in the Triumph.''
King saddled the favourite for the race last season in the shape of Trouble At Bay, but he does not look at Penzance as a similar type.
He added: ''This fellow is a much sharper individual than Trouble At Bay and when I brought that horse here at the same meeting, I think I took the edge off him.''
Those looking for bigger prices about the winner for Cheltenham can try Coral (8-1 from 14s) and Paddy Power (8-1 from 12s).
Another Cheltenham-bound winner is Limerick Boy following his easy victory over Lacdoudal and Duncliffe in the Favourites Racing Pendil Novices Chase.
This success by the Venetia Williams-trained gelding could not have been more apt as his owners sponsored the Grade Two contest.
Limerick Boy notched his most important success at this venue in the Lanzarote Hurdle 13 months ago.
Duncliffe tried to run them ragged by setting a good pace but was in trouble rounding the home turn, where Sam Thomas grabbed the initiative on Limerick Boy (12-1), and the combination drew steadily clear.
Williams is unsure which race Limerick Boy will contest at Cheltenham.
She said: ''This has come 24 hours too soon in terms of him going for the Mildmay Of Flete, because he'll be reassessed. He could still go for that, but we might look at the novices' handicap as well.
''I thought Sam gave him a great ride to meet every fence in the straight spot on. It was this horse who gave him his first big winner at this course last season.''
Migwell advertised his claims for the Coral Cup with a runaway success under Leighton Aspell in the coralpoker.com Handicap Hurdle.
The 11-2 chance was clearly full of running when leading on the home turn, and in ground that played to his strengths he skipped 12 lengths clear of Mind How You Go, with the others well strung out.
Coral cut him from 40-1 to 25s for their own race, while he was introduced into the list at 20-1 by Paddy Power.
His trainer Lucy Wadham observed: ''We were a bit mystified about why he ran so flat at Chepstow, but I think they went very quick on the ground that day, and he's better fresh.
''He's in the Coral Cup and if he gets into the weights we would very much like to run him."
Paul Webber has his horses firing at the right time for Cheltenham and although Uncle Wallace (11-4) is unlikely to be in his team for the meeting, there was much to like about the way the nine-year-old jumped and quickened to beat Tregastel in the McArdle Group Handicap Chase.
This two and a half miles looks the optimum distance for Tom Doyle's mount, who is the only son from the four foals produced by that grand mare Auntie Dot.
The Racing Post 'Select A Cheltenham Stable' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race produced another winner with Cheltenham potential in Glasker Mill (14-1), who was having a first outing under Rules after impressively landing a point-to-point in Ireland before joining Henrietta Knight.
At least half a dozen held a winning chance two furlongs out, but when Jim Culloty asked Glasker Mill to stretch, the combination pulled away.
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