Silviniaco Conti bounced back to something like his best to win the Betfair Ascot Chase for Paul Nicholls.
Dogged by problems and below his best in the first half of the season, he was fitted with blinkers for the first time as he dropped back in trip to two miles and five furlongs.
From a long way out only Royal Regatta looked like putting up some sort of a fight, but Silviniaco Conti, who was sent off the 2-1 favourite, outclassed his rivals.
Jumping well and travelling sweetly, he looked a much happier horse than when pulled up in the King George.
Noel Fehily sent him on three fences from home and he eased past Royal Regatta to win his seventh Grade One by 20 lengths.
Dynaste also showed more than he has of late, staying on to snatch second from Royal Regatta.
Paddy Power cut the winner to 20-1 from 33s for the Grand National.
Fehily said " It's great to get him back, well done to Paul and his team, a great training performance. I thought we'd gone a good gallop and I wanted to make sure he galloped through the line today, which he hadn't been doing.
"The blinkers didn't do any harm, he jumped much better today, certainly better than at Haydock."
Nicholls said: "I was mortified after the King George, I couldn't believe how badly he ran. He was pain free today, blinkers were the right thing, the ground was right and he was back to his best.
"When he's right he's a very good horse, you have to be to win seven Grade Ones. When he's right he's very good, but we've struggled all season.
"The problems he's had have been incredible. I knew he was coming right but I thought another fortnight might have done him good, but he was very fresh beforehand.
"He won't run in the World Hurdle, it will either be the National or the Bowl that he's won for the past few years."
Yala Enki demonstrated the best of his battling abilities with a tenacious victory from the front in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Ascot.
Dropped back into novice company having finished third in a Grade Three handicap at Sandown last time out, the 7-4 favourite bravely held at bay his four rivals to register a third win of the campaign.
Although Mr Mix looked set to pass the long-time leader having joined him at the penultimate flight, this year's Lanzarote Hurdle winner pulled out enough up the run in to post a three-quarter-length success.
Following the race, Yala Enki was shortened into 20-1 from 33-1 for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at next month's Cheltenham Festival.
Winning trainer Venetia Williams said: "I think they were all queuing up to have a go and pass this one. He is a superb jumper and I am thrilled to bits with him. He is in the two novice races at Cheltenham (Albert Bartlett and Neptune).
"He won't run before then, but whether he runs there depends on the ground. He probably wants further than that as that is the shortest distance he has run over all season, but we have to take the opportunities when they come."
A trip north of the border could now lie in store for Sausalito Sunrise following his easy success in the Appletiser 50 Year Celebration Chase.
The eight-year-old made light work of top weight to ground out victory in the three-mile prize and go one better than on his previous start.
Approaching the second last any one of Sausalito Sunrise, Vieux Lion Rouge, Bally Beaufort and long-time leader Waldorf Salad could have been called the winner with little to separate the quartet.
That picture all changed as the Philip Hobbs-trained 3-1 shot quickly motored into a decisive advantage between the final two fences.
Clearing the last in good fashion Sausalito Sunrise forged on to claim victory by 12 lengths from Vieux Lion Rouge.
Hobbs said: "We felt that he just lacks a little bit of confidence more than anything else. He is probably still a bit green but he is heading in the right direction.
"Cheltenham could be an option though for a long time the Scottish National has been his main aim, but he would not be going there if it was quick ground. He is a very big horse and we don't want to run him on quick ground. He just wants decent ground."
Different Gravey showed he was ready to fire on his first start in 309 days with a decisive victory in the Les Ambassadeurs Casino Handicap Hurdle.
Although not sighted since winning at Ayr last April the six-year-old returned with a bang in the extended two-mile-three-furlong prize to hand trainer Nicky Henderson a double on the card.
Racing in the main body of the field the 5-1 shot picked off early trailblazer Sirop De Menthe with ease over the second last before bounding away to victory by 16-lengths from the lightly-weighted Fingertips.
Following the race Ladbrokes introduced the winner at 8-1 for the Ryanair World Hurdle.
