Okeedokee profited from a double dose of good fortune to reward his patient owner at Leicester today.
Six years of disappointment were forgotten as the grey managed his first jumping win at the age of 10.
But luck was on his side in the Golden Miller Handicap Hurdle with two clear leaders coming to grief in the home straight.
Dutch Dyane, a winner over the course last week, was about three lengths up and travelling strongly when coming a cropper at the third last.
Then 40-1 outsider Apache Park, about five lengths clear at the time, crashed at the final obstacle.
Okeedokee was left in a narrow lead but faced a persistent challenge from Krabloonik.
Richard Johnson was forced to pull out all the stops to ensure a half-length winning margin.
"I've been waiting six years for this," said owner Michael Gates, a Lanzarote hotelier.
"I bought the horse for 85,000 guineas out of Criquette Head's stable. When he came over he slashed his leg open and it's been a catalogue of horrors with him."
Trainer Alan King said: "Even when he got left in front at the last I thought he would get beaten.
"The horse has been dogged with leg trouble and the owner deserves so much credit for his patience.
"Even after we managed to get the horse back last season he suffered a hairline fracture that kept him off again for some time."
Gates saw another of his horses, the Martin Pipe-trained Arctiid, win at Taunton on Monday, and is hoping to complete a hat-trick before he returns to the Canary Islands.
He is travelling to Scotland tomorrow to see Almutawakel's half-brother Mawjud, trained by Mary Reveley, make his jumping debut at Kelso tomorrow.
Martin Pipe needs just two more successes to become the winning-most trainer in history after completing a near 46-1 treble with Grangewood King, Dark Stranger and Sweet Senorita.
Each of the trio, which were all ridden by Tony McCoy, won with something to spare.
Dark Stranger, pulled up at Cheltenham last time, returned to his best with a one-length defeat of Destin D'Estruval in the Peter Sandrovitch _ Coup of the Century _ Handicap Chase.
"This was much more like it. The soft ground was to blame for his poor run _ he's run badly on it before," said owner Terry Neill.
Dark Stranger is one of four horses _ along with Strong Tel, Gloria Victis and Art Prince _ that Neill has entered in the Martell Grand National.
"I'm from Liverpool and I've always wanted to win the National. I hope to have at least one runner this year," he said.
"It looks as if Dark Stranger might not be the right type for Aintree _ he'll be going to Cheltenham _ and my most likely runner at Aintree is Strong Tel.
"But we don't know when Strong Tel will be running next as he was a little stiff after his fall at the first fence in the Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster last weekend."
Grangewood King, carrying the colours of one of Pipe's most loyal patrons Brian Kilpatrick, made most of the running in the Silver Bell Maiden Chase and came home 25 lengths clear.
Sweet Senorita won in similar fashion, defeating Oulton Broad by 14 lengths in the Charnwood Novices' Claiming Hurdle.
Crocadee (1-5) was never out of second gear to defeat Frogman by 25 lengths in the EBF Novices' Hurdle.
Venetia Williams' charge is now set to tackle the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury on Saturday week for which he is set to carry 10-0.
Mark Gichero, representing owners The Winning Line, said: "He's a novice taking on experienced handicappers but it's the two-mile trip more than anything that worries us about the race."
The Burton Lazars Conditional Jockeys' Selling Handicap Hurdle also produced a wide-margin scorer with Chicago Bear trotting up by 21 lengths.
He attracted plenty of interest at the auction and was sold out of John Mackie's stable for 10,000 guineas.
Robert Thornton was stood down for the remainder of the day after bruising a shoulder in the fall from Dutch Dyane.
Pipe's French conditional Joffret Huet was banned for two days (February 11th & 12th) for using his whip with excessive frequency aboard Stamford Hill (unplaced in the seller).
