A review of Friday's action at Newbury, where trainer Rebecca Curtis enjoyed a birthday double.
While the Crabbie's Grand National may be off the agenda for Potters Cross this season, a potential appearance in the world-famous prize at a later date moved a step closer following his victory in the Oakley Coachbuilders Novices' Limited Handicap Chase at Newbury.
Although failing to complete in either of his two previous starts this term, including on his debut over fences at Chepstow last time out, the nine-year-old showed what he can do with a clear round in the extended two-mile-seven-furlong prize.
Despite being pressed hard late on, the 11-4 favourite had enough in hand to repel the raid of Viva Steve by a head to complete a birthday double for winning trainer Rebecca Curtis and rider Trevor Whelan.
Curtis said: "Today could not have worked out any better. I thought he was off a really nice mark.
"He missed a couple of seasons with a leg injury and sometimes it takes a couple of runs to get them back. Hopefully he will keep improving now.
"He jumped well and travelled a lot better than he did at Chepstow. At Chepstow he just landed steeply. I've never considered him a bad jumper.
"If he gets rated high enough I hope he will end up as a National horse."
Curtis, 36, added: "This is my present. To be fair I've not had one birthday present given to me yet. That maybe because I left at 5.30 this morning!"
Bigbadjohn (20-1) got the ball rolling for the pair when flooring 1-3 favourite Hell's Kitchen after making all for a nine-length win in the opening AJC Premier Novices' Hurdle.
Curtis said: "He is a horse we liked but we first ran him at a time when some of our horses were wrong. He is a proper chaser for next year.
"Where we go next I don't know, there is Punchestown but we will see how he comes out of this as we want to look after him for next year."
A trip back to Haydock for a tilt at next month's Swinton Hurdle could now come into the equation for Thunder Sheik (7-2) after he made it two wins inside a week in the Events Bar Management Handicap Hurdle.
After showing his appreciation for a return to a sounder surface at the Lancashire track on Saturday, the eight-year-old followed it up with a five-length success to complete a double for winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who also took the concluding 1905 Club "Hands And Heels" Novices' Handicap Hurdle with Florrie Boy (8-15 favourite).
The Naunton handler said: "I am very pleased with the way he's done that. I imagined that he would go up more than a penalty for winning the other day, so that's why we came here.
"We will stay over two miles and he will be seen out again this season. The Swinton Hurdle is not such a stupid idea."
Charlie Marshall celebrated a first winner under Rules after steering prolific point-to-point scorer Glint Of Steel (5-4) to a three-length victory in the BJP Insurance Brookers Open Hunters' Chase for trainer Philip Hall.
He said: "It's unbelievable to ride a winner here and I don't think it has really sunk in yet.
"I could not believe it coming into the last. The favourite was still travelling well but we got a better jump over the last and he just took off."
There could be every chance that a number of the San Siro Six syndicate may be nursing sore heads in the morning after the Anthony Honeyball-trained City Supreme lost his maiden tag at the 13th time of asking with an 18-length triumph in the Smith And Williamson Handicap Hurdle.
Jim Burley, spokesman of the syndicate, said of the 13-2 winner: "He has run well the last couple of times and been progressive, he has just been a bit of a slow burner.
"He jumped very well today, but ultimately he is a novice chaser for next season. Richard (Hoiles) called him City Fortune all the way round and maybe that gave him a bit of fortune!
"There will be some heavy celebrations tonight."
The Charlie Longsdon-trained Bob Tucker (11-2) left some uninspiring form figures behind when getting up on the line to deny Kings Cross by a nose in the Equine Productions Handicap Chase.