Royale Pagaille shone brightest at his favourite track when upsetting Bravemansgame to land the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

The nine-year-old was second in this race in 2021 and returned to the Grade One contest at a price of 5-1 under Charlie Deutsch, having never been out of the first two in four previous trips to the Merseyside venue.

Dan Skelton's Protektorat was occasionally erratic in his jumping and Lucinda Russell’s Corach Rambler, the reigning Grand National hero, found the race happening at too quick a pace.

It was left to Royale Pagaille and Paul Nicholls' Bravemansgame, the 8-11 favourite, to share the lead in the battle for top honours.

And in the closing stages it was Venetia Williams’ charge who pushed on, jumping well over the final two fences to claim his biggest success to date by six and a half lengths. Corach Rambler was another nine lengths back in third.

Williams, who has her string in red-hot form, said: "Charlie got him into a great rhythm but he said for the first circuit he was quite laid back and not really grabbing the bridle, it wasn't until he pulled him out wide that he did.

"He jumped very well, but if you’d seen him school on Thursday you wouldn’t believe it. But that’s him, he shows very little at home and switches it on for the races.

"You’d have to say that’s a career best from him. All horses have their day and have their lesser days. If all the others were at the top of their game then it might put a different light on it. The same applies to us on other days, on this day we were the best.

"Cheltenham is a unique course, you go up and down and round. Courses like this, dead flat, there shouldn’t be hard luck stories so you should have the best horse winning."

She went on: "I’m not saying he’s gone into any Gold Cup as favourite, but it’s a trappy course. It has to be, as it tests the best, just like the Derby at Epsom.

"He’s run in the last three Gold Cups, he should have only been in two but his owners Susannah and Rich (Ricci) had Monkfish who was red-hot favourite in the novice race and duly won.

"He has never had his ground at Cheltenham. Who knows, this year he might.

"Grade Ones are very hard to get so I’m absolutely thrilled for everyone at the yard.

"I’m glad the Irish didn’t come but they will be at Cheltenham! I wouldn’t have thought we’d be going to take them on over there, we’ve got a lot of nice races here anyway.

"This ranks pretty high in my career, we’ve won a lot of nice races but this one is up there."

Emmet Mullins pulled off another masterstroke as Slate Lane ran away with the £150,000 Betfair "Serial Winners" Stayers' Handicap Hurdle.

Owned by Paul Byrnes, the man behind so many of Mullins’ best horses, Slate Lane was winning for the fourth time in succession.

Donagh Meyler always looked in complete control on the 11-4 favourite and he survived a messy jump at the last to win in style.

What would have made the result all the more satisfying for the trainer was that back in second, a length and a half away, was Fine Margin, trained by his uncle and champion trainer, Willie.

There was some concern after the race, however, as the winner returned with a nasty looking cut on his leg.

Before walking back to the stable yard to see to the injury Mullins said: "He's won four in a row now so it’s great, it’s all come together.

"To be honest since he crossed the line at Cartmel in a maiden hurdle this was the plan and it was about getting him here on a reasonable mark and it's come off.

"Everything went well. I thought there might not be much pace so I said to Donagh to line up wide and see how it unfolds and he was wise to it, he did the right thing letting him off.

"He’s very straightforward and as long as he keeps winning we’re happy enough."

RACING RESULTS