TRAINER Philip Hobbs is undecided about whether to head to the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup with Captain Chris after landing the Grade One Betfred Ascot Chase by 19 lengths on Saturday.

The 10-year-old, sent off the 8-11 favourite to go one better than last year, came home in splendid isolation under Richard Johnson and aside from a couple of enthusiastic mid-race leaps, he produced an otherwise flawless jumping performance.

Sue Smith’s Cloudy Too (7- 1) stayed on to finish second, with the returning Hunt Ball (20-1) a creditable third.

Hobbs said: ‘‘This was his race. I’m delighted he’s done what we hoped he would - he was very impressive.

‘‘There’s nothing in March for him except the Gold Cup, so we will consider it. If he goes to Cheltenham, he is only in the Gold Cup, but there is Punchestown to think of and perhaps Aintree, too.

‘‘I don’t think we can realistically do both Aintree and Punchestown, but there is nothing for him over this trip between now and April.

‘‘He might take his chance in the Gold Cup, but we will have to see about the ground.

‘‘It is not as if he can’t run left-handed – he won an Arkle there (2011) – but if you could ask the race planners to run the Gold Cup at Ascot or Kempton rather than Cheltenham, it would be appreciated because he prefers going right-handed.’’ Johnson said: ‘‘I think Punchestown is very much in the forefront of our minds, although I think the owners (Graham and Diana Whateley) are keen to run in the Gold Cup.

‘‘He’s still a high-class horse and while he did win an Arkle, he developed a physical problem after that and he’s preferred jumping right-handed since then.

‘‘Physically he’s fine, but it might be a mental thing with him now.’’ Captain Chris’ victory sparked a double for the same connections as Mountain King (11-10 favourite) took advantage of a last-fence fall by leader Wilde Blue Yonder to land the Ascot Sponsors’ Club National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle.

Hobbs said: ‘‘He was a bit lucky – the leader had the race at his mercy. He stayed on well but there are no big plans for him.

‘‘He’s still very green and we will look for a small race for him next.’’ O’Faolains Boy enhanced his Cheltenham Festival stock with a deeply impressive victory in the RSA Trial Novices’ Chase (formerly known as the Reynoldstown).

The Rebecca Curtis-trained seven-year-old (8-1) was more fluent than Many Clouds at the final two obstacles and was driven out by jockey Barry Geraghty to record a two-and-a-half-length victory.

Curtis said: ‘‘He should improve and come on a lot for this. We will go straight to the RSA Chase now.’’ Un Temps Pour Tout also advertised his Cheltenham claims after running out a 16- length winner of the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle in the hands on Tom Scudamore.

After the 40-85 favourite had easily accounted for the hattrick- seeking Cole Harden, trainer David Pipe said: ‘‘He is just in the Neptune but we might enter him in a couple of handicaps.

‘‘He travelled well and although he has never run on anything better than this ground, I think he’ll cope with better ground.’’ Teaforthree may have been touched off by Restless Harry (4-1) in the Weatherby’s Hamilton Insurance Chase but afterwards all the talk was about Aintree for last season’s Welsh National runner-up.

The Curtis-trained 10-yearold was beaten a neck in the three-mile Listed event after a titanic duel over the final three fences, but Noel Fehily’s mount was immediately slashed in price for the Crabbie’s Grand National, a race in which he finished third last season.

Curtis said: ‘‘I am very pleased with that. He has a lovely weight for the Grand National (10st 12lb) because there are a lot of high-class horses above him in the handicap.

‘‘He’s had one or two physical problems and he needed the race in at Chepstow (Welsh National).

‘‘While we will have to see how he comes out of the race, we’ve probably got him as good as he’s ever been at the moment.’’ Jockey Charlie Poste is now looking forward to the Cheltenham Festival with the Robin Dickin-trained Restless Harry.

Poste said: ‘‘He shouldn’t go up too much in the handicap for that, so a three-mile handicap chase at Cheltenham would be an option.’’ Kaylif Aramis (11-2) delivered his lines to perfection and landed something of a gamble in the Great British Drama Handicap.

Carl Llewellyn, assistant to winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, said: ‘‘He loves it soft and he also loves a stiff track like Ascot.

‘‘Heavy ground is ideal for him and I suppose we could find a race for him at Cheltenham if it does come up soft.’’ A Vos Gardes (7-2) remained unbeaten and showed a willing attitude in taking the Millgate Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race in the hands of 7lb claimer Charlie Deutsch.

The four-year-old, a cheap purchase from the Deauville breeze-up sales, idled when he hit the front but had enough to repel the challenge of Onderun by a length.

Trainer Charlie Longsdon said: ‘‘It makes up for Eli Brown being injured earlier in the day. Ascot has not been the luckiest of tracks for us, but this is a good little horse.

‘‘He gets all the allowances and Charlie’s 7lb claim is useful.

‘‘He gave him a good ride, although he hit the front a shade too soon.

‘‘He will probably go jumping and he’s really a horse for next season.’’