The Twiston-Davies team remain convinced The New One can foil Ireland’s challenge for the Stan James Champion Hurdle, despite struggling to land the odds in his final prep run at Haydock.
The New One laboured in the testing conditions and gave connections a fright ahead of his showdown with the likes of Faugheen, Jezki and Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham in March.
However, the 1-6 shot did wear down Bertimont on the run-in once the trainer's son, Sam, got into him and he eventually scored by two and a quarter lengths.
The Naunton trainer was not disgruntled, and knows exactly what he has to do between now and the Champion Hurdle on 10 March - though most bookmakers eased The New One out to 3-1 in the betting.
"It wasn't ideal, but we'll put that down to the ground. It's the worst ground he's ever come across," he said.
"He can have an easy time for a week or two and we've got seven and a half weeks to get him ready for the big one.
"It's the first hard race our horse has had this season. It won't do him any harm at all and he did battle. I wouldn't be worried about anything at all."
The winning rider said: "Everything went wrong and he still pulled it out of the fire.
"The Champion Hurdle will be a hell of a race and as long as we can get him there in the form he was last year I'm sure he'll run a big race."
Weighing-room veteran Brian Harding reached a personal best of 40 winners in a season when bringing home Scottish National possible Samstown (16-1) in a slog for the Peter Marsh Chase.
Samstown held on grimly by a neck from the Twiston-Davies-trained Benbens, with Vintage Star 24 lengths adrift in third.
Harding said: "I tried to be handy but couldn't go quick enough.
"At one stage I thought I'd be pulling up, but he started picking the odd one (horse) up.
"He's gone to win and then almost pulled himself up."
Whillans' son and assistant, Ewan, said: "When he came back from Cheltenham last month he was quiet for a couple of weeks, but he's come back to himself.
"There's the Grand National Trial here next month, but we think we're going to be running him in the Kim Muir (at Cheltenham), so he might go for the Pertemps Hurdle Qualifier here the same day instead.
"The Scottish National is his main target."
Bingley trainer Sue Smith, who is on winter break in Spain with husband Harvey, enjoyed an 89-1 double with Wakanda and Mwaleshi.
Both horses made the running, with Danny Cook steering Wakanda (8-1) to a nine-length victory in the CE Facilities Novices' Chase.
Jonathan England employed similar tactics on Mwaleshi (9-1), who ran his rivals into the ground in the 888sport Graduation Chase.
The Venetia Williams-trained Aso (6-4 favourite) looked a bright prospect as he took the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle by four lengths from Kiama Bay under Liam Treadwell.
Injury-plagued Barafundle (2-1 favourite), trained by Jennie Candlish, put his troubles behind him when landing his first success since November 2010 in the Ideal Recruit Handicap Hurdle under Jason Maguire.
Lucinda Russell's One for Arthur (3-1) opened his account under Rules when grinding out victory by five lengths over 2-5 favourite Subtle Grey in the Lynk FM 'Fixed Brush' Novices' Hurdle.
