Crocadee is bound for Cheltenham after gaining a wide-margin success in the Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Huntingdon today.
He was far from fluent at several hurdles but he does gallop and, kept up to his work by Norman Williamson, he had 14 lengths to spare over Kattegat at the line.
Mark Gichero, spokesman for the gelding's owners The Winning Line, said: "We will definitely go to Cheltenham for either the Coral Cup or the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle - the three-miles novices' at Aintree has also been mentioned, that trip would be no problem on good ground.
"He still takes the odd liberty with his hurdles but Norman was pleased with his jumping and said he was very clever - every jockey who has ridden him has said he is crying out for fences and that is what we will do with him next season."
Kattegat entered the Elite Racing Club Triumph Hurdle reckoning following a promising effort on his jumping debut at Newbury, but he looked to be struggling from some way out.
However trainer Jim Old said: "I am not as desperately downhearted as everyone might think.
"I have a great deal of respect for Crocadee and the idea of coming here was that if he was to go for the Triumph I dare not run him after this week and I wanted to get some jumping practice into him."
Old added: "Two and a half miles in this gluey old ground may have been a big ask for a four-year-old but he enjoyed it and jumped well and was just beaten by a better horse.
"I don't think it is the end of the world and we will sleep on it before making a decision on Cheltenham."
Alan King's Mighty Moss qualified for the Christie's Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham when winning the Peterborough Chase Restaurant Hunters' Chase in a common canter under owner Ken Hutsby's son Fred.
He will have Castle Mane to contend with at the Festival but King's representative Gordon Clarkson said: "He handled the ground and Fred gets on well with him so it is fingers crossed for Cheltenham. We will give them a run for our money."
Terry Casey, who is recovering from a recent operation, was given another tonic when Calm Down initiated a Williamson double in game fashion in the John Bigg Oxo Handicap Chase.
Casey explained: "I had a throat dissection three weeks ago, I had my gland removed and have had the all-clear as far as the tumour is concerned. Though I am still a bit weak I am feeling much better."
Of Calm Down he added: "I think he is an honest and progressive horse and three miles is about his trip. I think he probably needed it at Folkestone last time and needed it here - he is having a good blow."
Henry Island is something of a character but Glenn Tormey, deputising for Rodney Farrant who missed racing because of a neck problem, persuaded him to put his best foot forward and that was good enough to take the Peg Sims 85th Birthday Handicap Hurdle.
The seven-year-old was trained by Mark Pitman but is now with Mandy Bowlby who said: "I did not have many horses and Mark told the owners to send him to me.
"He came in the second week of December and although I have spoken to them on the phone this is the first time I have met the owners today so fair play to them."
Having finished runner-up in his four races over fences this term Gary Moore's Warm Spell deservedly got his head in front where it mattered in game fashion under Philip Hide in the Media Shop Novices' Chase.
It was a less memorable affair for Seamus Durack who was suspended for two days (March 4th & 6th) for easing Rajati in the closing stages and so forfeiting fourth place.
