Un De Sceaux made all under Ruby Walsh for an emphatic success in the Sodexo Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
Willie Mullins' bold-jumping eight-year-old had former Champion Chase hero Sire De Grugy tracking him for much of the journey, as he looked to bounce back from a fall at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Five out it looked like Sire De Grugy might have the answer but while the 1-2 favourite briefly had to hit top gear between the last two fences, his jumping over the final couple of obstacles was immaculate and five lengths was the winning margin.
Sire De Grugy just held on for second from stablemate Traffic Fluide, who ran a huge race.
Asked if the winner is as good as any two-miler he has ridden, Walsh said: "I don't know, he has to win a Champion Chase before I can say that.
"I was lucky enough to ride Master Minded and Azertyuiop and rode against Moscow Flyer, so I've ridden some great horses, but he has all the attributes - he stays really well and has a good turn of foot.
"He was definitely looking (at his fences) a bit more today than he did at Leopardstown, which is probably no harm. A good round of jumping like that will give him confidence.
"Today was important, with such a good horse you want to be winning these big races and with it going wrong in Leopardstown it is great to come and do that."
Mullins said: "He jumped much better today, he seemed to measure all his fences. I'm hoping he'll improve a lot from that.
"He's full-on every day, like he is racing, but he appeared more settled today than I've ever seen him."
He added: "I think I'd rather watch him if he was someone else's. When they're your own and you have so much invested in them and they are jumping flat out, it makes your heart jump every time."
Earlier, Vroum Vroum Mag extended her unbeaten run since joining Willie Mullins to eight in the OLBG.com Mares' Hurdle at Ascot.
Sent off the 4-6 favourite, the Ruby Walsh-ridden seven-year-old was trying the near three-mile trip for the first time and handled it with aplomb.
Dropped out in the early stages and given a patient ride throughout, Walsh had taken much closer order rounding the final bend and jumped the second-last in front.
Coming to the last the only danger was in front and while she was not overly fluent, she just had to be momentarily shaken up to readily see off fellow Irish raider Jennies Jewel by three and a half lengths.
Mullins said: "I would have been disappointed if she had been beaten, coming here I didn't have any worry about her ability on the ground or over the trip, it was just whether there was something better to beat her.
"Possibly the English mares didn't run up to scratch today, because I think Jennies Jewel on ratings would be a fair bit behind us.
"She's fast, she jumps well and she stays - that's why you can put her into any trip, she relaxes and goes to sleep in a race and you switch her on when you want her."
"It gives us lots of options for the Festival, I imagine she will go for one of the hurdle races. We'll see when we get home, but we've got the Mares' Hurdle and the World Hurdle."
Gibralfaro enhanced his claims towards a possible tilt at the Triumph Hurdle after maintaining his unbeaten record over hurdles in the Ascot Supporting Our Local Community Juvenile Hurdle.
While forced to do it the hard way from the front, the Alan King-trained four-year-old showed a willing resolve to follow up his debut win at Kempton.
Although the Paul Nicholls-trained Connetable loomed up as a serious-looking threat approaching the last the 4-5 favourite, despite not having the assistance of the rails, pulled out more than enough to claim a length-and-three-quarter success.
The winner was left unchanged at 14-1 by Coral for the JCB-sponsored Triumph Hurdle, while both Paddy Power and Boylesports trimmed him into 14-1 and 12-1 respectively.
Hugo Hunt made his first ride over fences a winning one after steering Johnny Og to glory in the Thames Materials Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase.
Despite his relative inexperience the 18-year-old performed the sort of move expected of a more senior rider to put the result of the two-mile-three prize beyond doubt a long way from home.
Having travelled close to the pace throughout, Hunt, who is based with Nicky Henderson, kicked the Martin Keighley-trained seven-year-old into a clear advantage.
Although tiring late on the 14-1 shot called on his extra stamina reserves to take victory by six lengths.
