Looks Like Trouble put up a spectacular display in the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday to emerge as the principal challenger to See More Business's chasing crown.
Sent to the front from the start by Norman Williamson, Noel Chance's stable star was never headed in the extended three-mile-one-furlong contest.
Apart from overjumping at the open ditch going down the far side for the final time and having a good look at the last, he hardly put a foot wrong as he came home in splendid isolation a distance clear of Go Ballistic.
Looks Like Trouble was putting a disappointing run in the Pertemps King George VI Chase behind him and now heads straight for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The ground was officially described as good to soft but Chance admitted: 'I was concerned about the ground. The first person I saw when I arrived was Philip Arkwright (clerk of the course) and he said the ground was dead but I had a walk and it didn't seem too bad.
'It was like glue at Kempton.'
Looks Like Trouble does not necessarily have to make the running as the Lambourn trainer explained: 'I left the tactics up to Norman _ we didn't want a sprint.'
And asked to compare Looks Like Trouble with Mr Mulligan, his 1997 Gold Cup winner, Chance commented: 'I don't want to take anything away from Mr Mulligan but this horse has a better turn of foot and he stays.'
Williamson was back in the winner's circle following the Marchpole Cleeve Hurdle after driving out Lady Rebecca to land the Grade One prize by a neck from Bacchanal.
The Venetia Williams-trained winner, successful in the Grade One race 12 months ago, was having her first run since finishing third in last year's Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Explaining the eight-year-old's absence from the track Miss Williams said: 'She was a bit jarred up after Cheltenham so we decided to give her some time.'
Bacchanal's trainer Nicky Henderson enjoyed better luck 35 minutes later when his Makounji returned to form to trounce a good field for the Ladbroke Trophy Chase, coming home 26 lengths clear of Celibate.
Henderson doubled up when Elite Racing Club Triumph Hurdle favourite Mister Banjo cemented his position at the head of the market with a convincing front-running display in the Wragge & Co Finesse Four Years Old Hurdle.
At Doncaster Nigel Twiston-Davies' sent out Beau to land an incident-packed Pertemps Great Yorkshire Chase.
There was a touch of anti-climax about the #40,000-added contest with the heavily-backed Brother Of Iris pulled out a minute before the off.
Minutes later there was more drama when the second favourite Strong Tel unseated his rider at the first fence.
The withdrawal of Brother Of Iris and the exit of Strong Tel meant the #1million-plus Scoop6 bonus was not won.
Irishman John Lawless had opted for Brother Of Iris and with that horse out he was on Strong Tel.
The other bonus chaser, an unnamed man from Gloucestershire, had also plumped for Strong Tel.
Beau (16-1) was in front going out onto the final circuit and stayed there for the remainder of the journey, passing the post two lengths clear of Niki Dee.
'Maybe we were a bit fortunate that the favourite was pulled out but my horse has travelled great throughout _ he was just having a good look at the last,' said winning jockey Tom Jenks.
Brother of Iris's jockey Lorcan Wyer pulled the horse out when he discovered that he was bleeding at the start.
Trainer Mary Reveley said: 'The horse was only bleeding from one nostril and it appears that he might have banged his head _ there doesn't seem to be any internal damage.'
Brother Of Iris is now likely to be aimed at the Racing Post Chase at Kempton next month.
