Katchit continued his winning spree over timber with a gritty display in the Grade Two Personalised Calendars Bonusprint.com Limited Handicap Hurdle.
Alan King's Triumph Hurdle hero faced just three rivals but needed to show his usual battling qualities to see off Degas Art by a length and three-quarters under Robert Thornton.
The even-money favourite has now won eight of his nine starts over hurdles and was trimmed into 5-1 from 6s for the Champion Hurdle with Ladbrokes.
King said: ‘I was trying to talk myself and my owners into the fact that we weren't going to win, but that was a good performance.
‘He will certainly improve from today and most of mine are coming on for the run.
‘He will go to the “Fighting Fifth” now and that will determine his season.
‘If he wins that he will go to Kempton at Christmas to chase the WBX bonus, but if he loses we will go to the Bula.
‘I hope he will go the Champion Hurdle but he needs to prove against himself the older horses.
‘He does have the right attributes to be a Champion Hurdle horse though.’
