Fortune favoured Direct Route today as the Champion Chase runner-up capitalised on a poor performance from Flagship Uberalles to land the featured Grade 1 Mumm Melling Chase in fine style.
The fast drying ground looked to suit Direct Route as Norman Williamson patiently rode the gelding around the two mile and four furlong course. Both the winner and Flagship Uberalles settled at the back of the five runner field as Makounji set about a fast pace.
The two fancied runners (11/8 joint-favourites) jumped perfectly around the first circuit but like yesterday it was the four fences in the back straight that were to pose problems.
Flagship Uberalles blundered badly at the first of the four and continued to meet each one badly before being pulled up by jockey Joe Tizzard four fences from the finish.
Direct Route was travelling comfortably on the shoulder of the weakening Makounji and cruised upsides approaching the last. Direct Route crashed through the middle of the fence but came away a length clear of Makounji and the fast finishing Flying Instructor.
Williamson kept his mount to his task, cruising to a sixth length victory over Flying Instructor. Direct Route was winning this race for the second successive year and scoring for a third time at meeting.
Winning trainer Howard Johnson was delighted with his nine-year-old who was entering the winner's enclosure for the first time this season, despite some heroic performances.
'He deserved to win because he's been unlucky,' claimed Johnson. 'I've always said he's the best two-mile, two-and-a-half mile chaser in the country and he's proved it today.
'He's just been unlucky in the last two or three races but today he has come good so it's made up for it.'
Johnson said he will enter Direct Route at Punchestown where he finished third to Celibate in last year's BMW Chase but his preference is to retire the nine-year-old for the season.
'I'd prefer to give him the green, green grass and I'll have him again next season.'
Paul Nicholls announced that Flagship Uberalles would not run again this season.
'He's absolutley fine and is going out to field now. It's the end of a long old season and he's only six. I said to Joe (Tizzard) that if he had any doubts he was to pull the horse up'.
'But the horse is 100% sound and will be going in the field now.'
Norman Williamson followed up that success with another fine winner in the Grade 2 Mumm Mildmay Novices' Chase when producing High Game late on to head Bosuns Mate on the line for a thrilling victory.
High Game did not look a threat turning for home as Bosuns Mate and the fancied Connor Macleod battled it out.
The latter, aimed specifically for this race having been pulled out of the Royal & SunAlliance Novice Chase at Cheltenham last month, failed to stay the three mile trip and weakened badly approaching the second last.
High Game appeared to be slightly hampered by the weakening horse but came to the last two lengths off Bosuns Mate.
Carl Llewellyn's mount, two lengths clear, hugged the rail and looked assured of victory until the flying High Game surged ahead to take the prize by the shortest of short heads.
Trainer Simon Sherwood had been far from confident that the photo-finish would go in favour of his inexperienced gelding.
'I didn't think he had won - I thought he needed another stride,' he said.
'I had been pessimistic that the track would be too tight so I think that was a hell of a performance, for a six-year-old who really needs three and a half miles on a galloping track.
'He will be put away now and all being well he is a horse with a future. We will look at the Hennessy for him and he could come back here for the National one year - his jumping is very good.'
Tony McCoy took a crashing fall on Upgrade at the penultimate fence on the first circuit but he was soon on his feat and walked back to the jockeys' room.
