Benatar just held off Finian's Oscar in a pulsating three-runner Mitie Noel Novices' Chase at Ascot.

Bryan Cooper attempted to make all the running on Finian's Oscar but his jumping in the first half of the race left a lot to be desired and he ended up conceding the lead to Dolos.

To his credit, Finian's Oscar warmed to the task and while not looking a natural, he never seemed like falling at any stage.

He hit the front turning into the straight but Benatar (7-4) and Jamie Moore were still going well and his fluent jumping gave him a length advantage.

Finian's Oscar tried to fight back after the last but the line came a few strides too soon and he succumbed by a short head.

Winning trainer Gary Moore said: "My horse was over-racing. He was travelling too well.

"He could have done with a better gallop and the second horse was not jumping with his usual fluency and subsequently ours has had to move up into the race earlier than he needed to.

"The jockey on the second horse was slapping his and mine has become lit up. He has had to use him earlier than he wanted.

"He has really stuck his neck out, though, and he wanted to win. He is a proper horse. I think he will get three miles. It was tough out there today and he has got the two-five OK. We will have to see what the ground is at Cheltenham but we will enter him in the JLT and RSA and take it from there.

"I will have to go back and see what there is. He might have one more race before Cheltenham.

"He is up and coming and I do see him as a Ladbrokes Trophy horse one day."

Colin Tizzard is hoping the application of headgear might help Finian's Oscar brush up his jumping.

He said: "He was doing nothing the first mile, very much like he was at Sandown the other day.

"To be fair, Bryan gave him a lovely ride and he had a hell of a chance in the end. He gave away too much ground with his jumping.

"We will go up in trip and put some cheekpieces or blinkers on. As Bryan said, it is not that he is ungenuine, he is just careful.

"The word 'brave' we used a couple of days ago is quite significant - he just needs to be a bit braver.

"It was a good run anyway and he nearly got there. We were giving the winner 5lb.

"We just need to straighten him up. He will go three miles now with something on his head, probably cheekpieces."

Didtheyleaveuoutto maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive display in the St Andrews Holdings Championship Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

The JP McManus-owned four-year-old created a big impression when making a successful debut on the all-weather at Lingfield last month, but had far more on his plate in this Listed contest, with nine other winners lining up in a 14-strong field.

However, Nick Gifford's 10-1 shot was always travelling powerfully in the hands of Barry Geraghty and was well on top as he passed the post with two and three-quarter lengths in hand.

Bullionaire, the 3-1 favourite on his first start since winning the valuable Goffs UK Spring Sales Bumper at Newbury in March, was far from disgraced in finishing second.

Gifford confirmed the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival as his gelding's long-term target and h e is the 8-1 joint-favourite with Sky Bet along with the Willie Mullins-trained Hollowgraphic.

Gifford said: "Barry was always happy with him. He is so professional and just switches off. A lot of them were pulling for their heads and struggling and he was just going through the motions.

"Barry said that was as soft a ground as we would want and that we got away with it today. He has got that real top-of-the-ground action.

"To do that to a top-class field shows that Lingfield wasn't a one-off. He has beaten a much stronger field today and it was a case of whether he would handle the ground as that was the unknown.

"He is very switched off and relaxed at home you wouldn't believe he is only four. He is like an old hand. He only does what you ask him to do and they are the horses you dream of.

"It is lovely to have another seriously nice horse and even better to have it for the boss (McManus).

"On what we have seen so far, he has been so professional I don't think we would need to have another run before Cheltenham. Newbury in February is pretty soft and that would be the only race you would go to, so otherwise you go straight to Cheltenham."

Daniel Sansom steered Golan Fortune to a determined success in the Mitie Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

Phil Middleton's 6-1 shot was left in front in the back straight after the errant Eaton Hill hung across the track and proved very difficult to steer under Richard Patrick.

Sansom committed for home rounding the home turn and although 9-4 favourite The Mighty Don joined him at the second flight from the finish and briefly took the lead, Golan Fortune fought back tenaciously to win a thrilling duel by a length and a half.

Sky Pirate was a long way back in third.

Golan Future fell at Towcester three weeks ago, and Middleton said: "What happened last time is that the lad who was riding him (Fergus Gregory) didn't have a chance.

"There were seven horses and you could have put a blanket over them. I don't know how he saw the hurdle, but he had nothing to put the landing gear down.

"We schooled him to get his confidence back and he is as tough as old boots. He is going to be a three-mile chaser in time.

"Daniel said there was going to be no pace but I said 'you can't make the running, just sit in the slipstream of whatever does'. He ended up nicking a few lengths doing that. Ideally he wants a strong gallop."