Champion Chaser Edredon Bleu made a scintillating return to action at Huntingdon today to win the Victor Chandler Peterborough Chase for the third year running.
But the tensions of returning the fastest chaser in the land was more than trainer Henrietta Knight could bear to witness.
She stood under a tree behind the racecourse and listened to the commentary.
What she heard afterwards was her stable jockey Jim Culloty - who has ridden Edredon Bleu in all three Huntingdon victories - declare the eight-year-old to be better than ever.
Edredon Bleu, sent off a generous 100-30 as punters made Fadalko the odds-on favourite, hit the third fence, but settled well as he cut out the running from Flying Instructor.
The Outback Way took up the chase running down the back straight for the final time, but he was back-pedalling before the second last, where Fadalko threatened.
But Edredon Bleu`s stamina over the two and a half mile was not sapped by the good to soft ground and the horse galloped on to beat the favourite by five lengths, with The Outback Way a further nine lengths adrift in third.
Culloty said: 'That was grand. To be honest, I`d say he`s better with each year and that`s the best feel he`s given me today.
'The ground was okay. He`s a year stronger now and he`s coping with it.'
Edredon Bleu brushed through the top of a few fences, but the unconcerned Culloty reported: 'He`s French, and he`s always had a tendency to get a bit low. He`s very good. He wasn`t going to fall in a hurry.'
Edredon Bleu was breaking his jinx of not having won on his seasonal reappearance.
Knight explained: 'We really piled the work into him after Exeter was out. It was a though he had a race with all the work we`d given him at home.'
The trainer said she is loathe to let Edredon Bleu have another attempt at the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown next month, citing hard races in defeat there in each of the last two years.
She said: 'I shall wait and see what the ground is like. I don`t want to get to the bottom of this horse because he`s such a game little horse. Having him spot on for Cheltenham in March is the important thing.'
Knight and Culloty had earlier used up a large slice of luck when Chalmers Place was fortunate winner of the Victor Chandler 'Race-Day' Novices` Chase, in which the picture altered dramatically in the home straight.
Redemption, the warm favourite, looked a certain winner approaching the second-last fence, five lengths in front of Chalmers Place, and travelling strongly.
But Andrew Thornton`s mount clipped the top of the obstacle and slithered to the floor, presenting the lead to Chalmers Place, who was then handed victory when his closest pursuer No Forecast also came down.
Chalmers Place safely negotiated the final obstacle and cantered in a distance clear. But the drama didn`t end there, as the leg-weary Virginian barged into the equally-exhausted The Major on the run-in before crossing the line in second.
The stewards wasted little time in reversing their placings.
Knight said: 'I suppose you could say that was compensation for the fall of Red Blazer at Kempton. Luck was definitely on our side. We`d have never beaten the favourite.'
Moral Support continued the fine run of trainer Charlie Mann when outstaying The Lady Scores by five lengths in the Geoff Hubbard Memorial Handicap Chase.
Mann, who took the first race at Catterick with Regal Holly, has now sent out four winners in the last three days, having had three last week.
The in-form trained quipped: 'If I could find a race for the wife`s dog, I would!'
Moral Support`s jockey Noel Fehily completed a double when John Mackie`s Haditovski gained his fourth successive victory by taking the Victor Chandler Channel 4 Teletext P620 Handicap Hurdle.
