Bothy maintained his unbeaten record over timber and qualified himself for the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with a second success at Taunton.

It will come as a surprise if Mount Cook does not go on to better things following his smooth success in the Morgan Ashurst Novices’ Handicap Chase at Taunton.

Thundering Star, easily the most high-profile horse on view at the meeting, provided Paul Nicholls with a good omen for The Open this weekend when landing the Morgan Ashurst Novices’ Hurdle at Taunton.