Long Run gained his first win since the 2012 King George VI Chase when landing the odds in the Ivan Straker Memorial Chase at Kelso.
Nicky Henderson's nine-year-old has won two King Georges and also lifted the biggest prize in the game, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in 2011 but his star has been on the wane this season. Well beaten at Wetherby and Haydock, he would have finished third at best in the King George but for unseating Sam Waley-Cohen at the final fence.
Henderson and owner Robert Waley-Cohen are seriously considering a tilt at the Crabbie's Grand National and were keen for a confidence-booster. On the whole Long Run jumped well, bar a couple of minor errors, with Waley-Cohen content to sit behind Knockara Beau for much of the contest.
The 2-5 favourite was asked to assert at the second-last but Knockara Beau, who lowered the colours of the great Big Buck's in the Cleeve Hurdle last month, refused to go away quietly. They jumped the last almost in unison, but that was when Long Run began to pull clear, with six lengths the official winning margin.
Long Run was left unchanged at 25-1 for the National by Paddy Power, with only Tidal Bay set to carry more weight.
Henderson told Racing UK: "It was just nice to see him get his head in front and get back on track. The Betfair Chase never seems to suit him and he never got in the firing line in the King George. He's been a little bit off target but the conditions of this race did give him an amazing chance. It was obvious.
"He's spent his life racing around Cheltenhams, Ascots, Kemptons and Auteuils, but this is a great place to come to and it was a fantastic opportunity to get him back on track before we decide where we are going to go.
"The principal objective is the Grand National, his jumping has got much more professional and he was good there today, the only times he got in a bit close were when he wanted to go a little bit quicker. I said to Sam to ride him like a good horse and get a lead and the hardest thing was to stop him going to the front.
"The horse has enjoyed himself today and that was the main objective. I think the Gold Cup is looking pretty competitive at the moment but we'll keep an eye on it, otherwise Aintree is where we'd really like to go. A couple of years ago I wouldn't have thought he was the right horse but his jumping is now more Anglais than Franglais. I think he'll love the fences."
George Charlton said of Knockara Beu: "He ran a good race but they didn't go very fast. He didn't have a hard race, we didn't want to bottom him before Cheltenham and the Gold Cup is still the plan. The steeper hill will help him there, so we'll so how he gets on."
Runswick Royal ran out a game winner of the Timeform Morebattle Hurdle from Upsilon Bleu. Second in Grade One company at Aintree last spring behind Alan King's L'Unique as a four-year-old, he has struggled slightly off an inflated handicap mark this season. An early faller in the Scottish County Hurdle, Ann Hamilton's charge showed no ill effects
Having gone clear approaching the last, Runswick Royal (9-2) began to idle giving Pauline Robson's Upsilon Bleu another chance but he just failed by half a length.
Hamilton's husband Ian, who also owns Runswick Royal, said: "It was a bit nerve-wracking because we haven't had any luck lately. We've had two seconds beaten by two neighbours and I thought that was going to be the case again as Pauline lives on the next farm.
"He's a lovely horse and he's very laid-back, Ann rides him all the time. I bought him off a friend of mine, (former trainer) Howard Johnson. We'll probably go back to Aintree and miss Cheltenham I think.
"We were a bit worried about him having the fall last week but we schooled him on Saturday and he jumped like a buck so it took nothing out of him and after the top two (My Tent Or Yours and Melodic Rendezvous) didn't run we thought we'd have a go."
Leading lady rider Lucy Alexander rode her first winner since breaking her jaw in December when Landecker sprang a 50-1 surprise in the David Merry Farrier Novices' Hurdle.
The race looked a nice opportunity for John Ferguson's former smart Flat horse Rainbow Peak to notch up a second triumph over hurdles and when his main market rival Master Red fell at the last when still in contention a win looked long odds-on. However, Alexander was staying on stoutly on her dad, Nick's, charge and got up in the final stride.
"That's Lucy's first win since she broke her jaw before Christmas, she'd had a few seconds. I didn't think she'd won but I was pleasantly surprised. Lucy thought she should have won but thought she hadn't. He should improve for going up in trip and will be better on nice ground," said Nick Alexander.
The 14-year-old Tartan Snow (13-2), winner of the Fox Hunters' in April, went one better than last season in the CGA Foxhunter Trial Open Hunters' Chase. Harbour Court had made the long journey from Oxfordhshire and was expected to stake his claim for Cheltenham glory but was brought down early.
Tartan Snow will attempt to repeat his win on Merseyside at the Grand National meeting.
There was an Irish success as Stuart Crawford saddled another bumper winner with Knocklayde Express obliging at the first time of asking.
A son of Aidan O'Brien's St Leger-winning Scorpion, the 3-1 favourite kept on strongly to beat Tara Mac by a head.
As ever, victory was all the more sweet with Crawford's brother Stephen in the saddle.
