Knife Edge confirmed Leopardstown Denny Juvenile Hurdle placings with Golden Rule with an power-packed performance under Tom Rudd in the Juvenile Hurdle at Punchestown on Saturday.

Formerly trained by Michael Stoute, the American-bred edged into the lead after the penultimate flight and stayed on gallantly to shrug off his market rival by three lengths.

"He wasn't happy on that sticky ground and didn't jump well on it," said winning handler Michael O'Brien. "He won't run again until Cheltenham," added O'Brien, referring of course to the Triumph Hurdle in which he is quoted by Sean Graham at 10 to 1. Jason Titley captured the riding honours with a 285 to 1 three-timer. John Brassil's Captain Clooney got the ball rolling for the Clare-man in the opener before Manus The Man followed up with a smooth victory in the EBF Beginners Chase for Michael Cunningham.

Cunningham reported that his charge Four Aside, which finished fourth in the opener after starting the 3 to 1 favourite, pulled an achilles tendon off her hock and will be sidelined for a year.

He said of the winner: "He'll be entered for the 4m National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. He's won two point-to-points and has plenty of experience." Ferbet Junior defied top-weight with a brave pillar to post victory in the Landenstown Handicap Hurdle to complete a memorable afternoon for Titley, prompting winning trainer Jessica Harrington to remark: "He's got some engine and keeps on improving but I don't know whether to run him back over fences or what next."

After racing there was a lengthy stewards inquiry into the running and riding of Thats My Wife, trained by Michael Butler and ridden by his son Johnny. The 14 to 1 chance finished sixth behind Ferbert Junior. Penalised at the Listowel Festival with the same horse in 1997 - the trainer was fined £300, rider suspended for 21 days and the horse banned for 30 days - the penalty this time was again severe.

Although Michael Butler escaped without a penalty, his son was stood down for eight racing days and the horse banned from racing for 42 days.

After two abandonments and two reschedulings, the Grade Two Victor Chandler Chase finally took place at Kempton on Saturday.

Both Ascot's attempts to stage the race, a week ago and on Saturday, hit the canvas, but all the inconvenience and headscratching which resulted in the move to Sunbury worked in the favour of Call Equiname, who just got the better of a stern fight with favourite Get Real.