Al Dancer maintained his unbeaten record for the season with a decisive victory in the Betfair Hurdle at Ascot.
Originally due to be run at Newbury last week before the outbreak of equine flu, the valuable handicap was swiftly re-scheduled - and a strong field of 14 runners faced the starter.
Having already won at Carlisle, Ffos Las and Cheltenham this season, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Al Dancer was the 5-2 favourite in the hands of the trainer's son Sam - and travelled powerfully throughout the two-mile contest.
He moved to the front jumping the second flight from the finish and picked up strongly on the run-in to prevail by three and three-quarter lengths from Magic Dancer, with largely unconsidered 100-1 shot Blu Cavalier back in third.
Bookmakers cut Al Dancer to 4-1 from 8-1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham next month, which makes him their joint-favourite - along with Fakir D'Oudairies - for the Festival curtain-raiser
