See More Business survived a scare to romp home by 30 lengths at Wetherby today to successfully launch a campaign in which he will bid for the King George VI Chase and the Tote Gold Cup.
Britain`s highest-rated chaser brought gasps of horror from the crowd as he flirted with disaster at the third last in the Peterhouse Group Charlie Hall Chase.
He dived bad left at the fence and Mick Fitzgerald did well to keep the partnership.
From that point it was plain sailing as See More Business came home unchallenged in the muddy ground.
But Ladbrokes have left his price unchanged at 10-1 for the Tote Gold Cup with Looks Like Trouble the 5-1 favourite.
See More Business`s owner Paul Barber admitted his heart had been in his mouth at the third last.
'I think he wanted to go into the crowd to fetch an umbrella and who would blame him for that,' he said.
Young Kenny had set the early running but See More Business soon pulled his way to the front.
He gradually extended his lead and before the home straight only Bobby Grant was within hailing distance.
After surviving the heart-stopping moment at the third last victory was never in doubt.
Bobby Grant emerged with plenty of credit in taking second, 12 lengths ahead of his stablemate Young Kenny with the only other runner The Last Fling half a length further back.
'It was my fault really the mistake and he got me out of jail. He`d just gone stale being in front for so long,' said Fitzgerald.
Ladbrokes leaves See More Business unchanged at 10-1 for the Tote Gold Cup with Looks Like Trouble the 5-1 favourite.
'Mick Fitzgerald said he is as good as ever and I`m happy with that,' said Nicholls.
'He got beaten in the Gold Cup last March when the race wasn`t run to suit.'
See More Business is now almost certain to go to Kempton on Boxing Day and try to win the race for a third time.
'If things hadn`t gone well here we might have given him another race in the Edward Hanmer Chase or the Rehearsal but now he`ll almost certainly go straight to Kempton.'
Peter Beaumont was happy enough with his pair Bobby Grant and Young Kenny who had faced a stiff task.
Bobby Grant is now set to go to Haydock for the Edward Hanmer Chase with Young Kenny earmarked for the Becher Chase at Aintree.
