Looks Like Trouble put up a spectacular display in the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham today 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.
Majadou filled third slot seven lengths away.
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 for which he is priced at 5-1 with William Hill and 6-1 with Coral.
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 Arwright (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 clearly delighted with last year's Royal & SunAlliance winner's performance in today's Grade Two contest.
He said: "He never really made a mistake at that open ditch _ he was so good at it he overjumped.
"I just jumped him off and let him do his own thing. It was a great performance _ that's why I thought he'd win the King George."
When asked if he thought Looks Like Trouble could beat See More Business Williamson replied: "I've never ridden See More Business. Looks Like Trouble has improved since he beat us at Wetherby as I'm sure he has but it would be close."
Alan King was not too disappointed with Go Ballistic's showing.
He said: "The ground found his wind out _ it was a dead sticky.
"We might look at the Jim Ford (at Wincanton) for him next _ he's won it before."
There was a sad footnote to the race as Dr Leunt collapsed and died following a heart attack after coming home in fourth place.
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 was having her first run since finishing third in last year's Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Lady Rebecca's jumping won the day and Miss Williams remarked: "She winged the last."
The trainer was not too concerned that her tough mare had not had a recent outing.
She said: "There's not a lot of her and I thought she was fairly fit."
Explaining the eight-year-old's absence from the track Miss Williams added: "She was a bit jarred up after Cheltenham so we decided to give her some time."
