Flagship Uberalles made a highly-impressive debut for trainer Noel Chance when running away with the Doubleprint Tingle Creek Trophy at Cheltenham today.
The six-year-old, formerly handled by Paul Nicholls, is now as short as 9-4 favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Festival next March with bookmakers Coral.
However, in the short-term, Flagship Uberalles faces a dramatic step up in distance to tackle the Pertemps King George VI Chase over three miles at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, for which he is a best-priced 10-1 with the Tote.
Tony McCoy attempted to slip the field aboard eventual runner-up Fadalko but Richard Johnson on Flagship Uberalles, the 3-1 favourite, always had the move covered before asserting after three out and stretching 11 lengths clear up the hill.
And Chance is eager to let his new stable-star - now that his Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Looks Like Trouble is on the injury list - take his chance in the Kempton showpiece stating thathe is '80 to 90 per cent certain to run'.
He added: 'You can ride him to get the trip and he certainly wasn`t stopping up the hill over two miles today but a prerequisite with him is soft ground as he gives 100 per cent in those conditions.
'There is no championship two-mile chase over Christmas and that`s why horses like him and Edredon Bleu are heading for the King George. I`m not sure running in that race blunts a horse`s speed as One Man won there before winning the Queen Mother Chase back here.'
Chance is also confident there is better to come from the winner declaring: 'We came into this race with a little trepidation as he is not a horse that would give a lot of confidence at home and there is probably a bit of improvement in him - say five to seven pounds.'
The trainer also added that Johnson would be the horse`s regular pilot in his build-up to Cheltenham which could include the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury after the King George.
Fadalko delighted Nichollswith his effort and he could be given a short break before returning to action but Tiutchev, last term`s Arkle Challenge Trophy winner, was a major disappointment finishing last of the seven runners after hitting the open ditch very hard.
Not surprisingly the stewards took a look at the performance but with trainer Nicky Henderson unable to offer any explanation they took no further action before ordering a routine dope test.
