Tony Dobbin secured the Cheltenham mount aboard One Man with a faultless display on his Ascot debut yesterday. He proved an able deputy for Richard Dunwoody by guiding the grey to victory in the three-runner Comet and Sony Chase.
Dobbin had never ridden at the Royal track before yesterday but the renewal of his partnership with One Man was the catalyst to a fine big-race double.
Half an hour after helping One Man exact revenge on his conqueror of last year, Strong Promise, he added the HSBC James Capel Reynoldstown Novice Chase on The Toiseach.
The 25-year-old Dobbin, who lost the mount on One Man before the first of the grey's two King George successes, said: "It's very nice to get back on One Man after being jocked off. I've never ridden a two-mile Champion Chase horse before but he's the best I've ridden.
"At the third-last Strong Promise came there tanking. I was very worried about him but he tired and at the last One Man has picked up again."
With Dunwoody honouring a commitment to ride Klairon Davis at Cheltenham, Dobbin was on trial. But owner John Hales, who had backed Dunwoody's big race experience at the expense of the up-and-coming Dobbin in 1995, was full of praise for the winning rider.
"Tony was brilliant. I was very pleased with him and wanted to be the first to congratulate him," he said. "I fully understood Richard's position with Klairon Davis. He had made his commitment before he knew that One Man would be heading for the Champion Chase.
"But he understood why Tony rode today and Tony will now ride this horse."
One Man's well-beaten fifth in the King George VI Chase at Kempton had been rated as another costly failure to add to his two Gold Cup flops.
But trainer Gordon Richards blames the heavy ground for that defeat and hopes to crack One Man's big race Cheltenham jinx this time provided conditions are suitable.
The grey is a best-priced 5 to 1 for the two-mile showpiece but 4 to 1 second favourite from 11 to 2 with Ladbrokes. Ask Tom is 3 to 1 market leader.
"I was disappointed with his Kempton run - maybe he doesn't like it soft. But I've never lost faith in him," said Richards. "It's sad that such a good chaser can't win a Gold Cup but I'd love to win a Champion Chase and he'll go straight there.
"If the ground came up soft I would try to persuade the owner not to run and he would run at Liverpool instead.
"Tony is a good young rider. It was bad luck on him when he got jocked off but he is more mature now."
Strong Promise tired on his first race of the season but connections were more than satisfied with his performance. He will not run again until the Cheltenham Gold Cup for which he remains a 14 to 1 chance.
"He blew up," said trainer Geoff Hubbard's assistant Chris Kinane. "We knew he needed the race but weren't sure whether that would be enough to win."
Dobbin made most of the running on The Toiseach, who romped to a nine-length victory from Mahler, the pair finishing a distance clear of the rest. But pre-race favourite Fiddling The Facts missed the race after connections opted not to risk her on the good ground. She now heads to Chepstow a week on Saturday.
The Toiseach, James Fanshawe's first chaser, has not been entered in the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase, the eventual target of Fiddling The Facts. But he could turn up in the Scottish National at Ayr.
Grey Shot returned to winning form in the Fernbank Novices' Hurdle but only scrambled home by a head from King Kato with a performance that failed to enhance his Champion Hurdle claims.
