Perseus Way ran out an ultimately decisive winner of the Weatherbys Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle at Huntingdon.
Promising first time over timber at Cheltenham behind Scriptwriter and then a wide-margin scorer at Leicester, the Gary Moore-trained four-year-old was last seen finishing third to Comfort Zone and Dixon Cove in the Grade Two Finale Hurdle at Chepstow.
Keeping close tabs on Start In Front and Despereaux from flag-fall, Jamie Moore's mount was driven to lead at the second-last and a perfect leap at the final flight went a long Perseus Way to sealing matters.
Staying on strongly from there, the Olly Harris-owned 10-11 favourite had three lengths to spare at the line over Samuel Spade, who was far from disgraced under his 8lb penalty.
Paddy Power cut Perseus Way to 33-1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle and to 14-1 for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – and it is the latter which appears the most likely target.
Moore said: "He is a very nice horse and I'm pleased he has done it well today. His jumping is getting better all the time, but it needs to.
"He is getting slicker and quicker and he is starting to enjoy his racing. It was a good run in defeat at Chepstow last time and I felt that Chepstow was probably soft enough for him. We rode him too far back that day and that is why we rode him handier today.
"I don't think he is good enough to run in the Triumph, but I think he could have a strong chance in the Fred Winter. I may be wrong, I don't know, but we will take it one step at a time.
"I'm very lucky to have the owner as he is a very good and understanding man. He listens to what I say which makes my job easier.
"He has invested heavily and he deserves all the luck he gets. Fair play to James Savage and Ted Durcan who bought the horse for him."
Kateira (8-15 favourite) made it two wins in as many starts over obstacles with a bloodless success in the Weatherbys Private Bank Mares' Novices' Hurdle.
Trained by Dan Skelton, Kateira had made a triumphant hurdles bow at Uttoxeter in November and jockey Harry Skelton rode with supreme confidence throughout this extended two-and-a-half-mile affair.
The six-year-old travelled sweetly into contention, grabbing the initiative before the second-last and accelerating clear, with Skelton taking a long look round on the run to the line.
Winning owner Jackie Chugg said: "That was absolutely brilliant. I'm so pleased as we bred her as well. The mare (Raitera) has had four separate winners including El Presente, who Kateira is a half-sister to. We got the dam in France about 15 years ago from Deauville.
"Kateira should have won today, but she had to carry the penalty and prove herself and she did exactly that. Dan has always thought the world of her. She had to prove plenty today, but she has gone and proved it.
"Dan had a plan before the race to come back here for the Sidney Banks (on February 9) and that's where she will go next."
Raffle Ticket outbattled Jay Jay Reilly by a neck in the Weatherbys Hamilton Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.
The 11-4 shot had to dig deep for Alex Edwards, but the Mel Rowley-trained Raffle Ticket just prevailed after a thrilling battle in a race that had a sad postscript with news The Cob had suffered a fatal injury.
