Ollie Magern got back on track for the Cheltenham Festival with a workmanlike rather than spectacular victory in the Totty Construction Towton Novices Chase at Wetherby.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding had blundered and unseated Carl Lewellyn at the fourth fence in the Pillar Property Chase at the Prestbury Park circuit last Saturday, but made amends here.

He beat King Harald by four lengths in this Grade Two contest after making most of the running.

Ollie Magern (8-15) is entered in both the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, but his owner Roger Nicholls confirmed he would take up the novice option.

He said: ''If he'd beaten Grey Abbey and company we might have thought about the Gold Cup, but it was not to be. His next race will be the SunAlliance.''

Llewellyn added: ''I tried to settle him in front but he kept getting taken on. They went too fast on the first circuit, and that's why they were knackered up the straight.

''His jumping was OK, a little bit hesitant, but I think last Saturday frightened him a little bit - he knew he'd made a mistake. As the race went on he got better and down the back he jumped well when I asked him.

''There will be plenty of pace in the SunAlliance and I'll be able to drop him in. He doesn't want to be in front too soon.''

Ollie Magern, who remains the 5-1 favourite with Victor Chandler for the SunAlliance, was the middle leg of a near 22-1 three-timer for Llewellyn. He won on Red Georgie for Twiston-Davies and the Paul Nicholls-trained Mouseski.

Red Georgie made up for a dismal showing last time with an all-the-way success in the Oakwood Novices Hurdle.

The seven-year-old gelding was pulled up on his last visit to Wetherby, when it was reported that he finished distressed, but he left that run well behind with a convincing display.

The 9-2 chance settled well in the lead and was always travelling within himself, his task being made easier when his nearest rival Tom Fruit unseated Russ Garritty four from home.

It was left to the 13-8 favourite Romany Prince to chase Red Georgie, who won by three lengths.

The winner is entered in both the Royal & SunAlliance Novices Hurdle and the Brit Insurance Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Mouseski took the totesport.com Handicap Chase, a race in which Grand National winner Amberleigh House ran well for a long way over an inadequate 2 miles.