Beaulieu ends Spot’s winning sequence
The Enda Bolger-trained veteran Spot Thedifference won all three races over the unique track last season and opened with another win at Prestbury Park last month.
However, the old boy was beaten some way at the finish, trailing the field into the straight as his gambled-on stablemate Good Step fought it out up front with the winner and Shady Lad.
Owner JP McManus put down the performance of Spot Thedifference to "an off-day".
"He can be a bit moody sometimes and they just went quick and he lost interest," he said.
It was Shady Lad who just held the upper hand coming to the final obstacle, but Ivoire de Beaulieu (16-1) stayed on strongly under Alan O'Keeffe to come home two and a half lengths clear, with Good Step a further length and a half away in third.
Ivoire de Beaulieu's participation in the race had not been without a degree of controversy after trainer Ferdy Murphy blasted race-planning officials for manipulating the race conditions to allow the participation of the favourite.
But his charge won despite being 9lb out of the handicap and given that any weights rise he is likely to receive will still leave him receiving a considerable amount from Spot Thedifference, connections must fancy their chances of winning the cross-country race at the Festival a race for which he is quoted at 10-1 by Cashmans.
"I don't really know what we are going to do between now and the cross-country race at the Festival, but there is a cross-country race at Merano in Italy in February and after the Festival there is the Pardubicka, which dad has always wanted to win," said the trainer's son Barry.
Royal Auclair earned a tilt at one of the big chasing prizes at Christmas when winning the Mears Group Chase and giving trainer Paul Nicholls a near 67-1 double.
Conditional rider Liam Heard was taking off a useful 7lb and the 13-2 shot was always travelling well.
Liberthine looked like making a fight of it before stumbling after jumping the third-last and parting company with conditional jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, leaving All In The Stars to throw down a late challenge.
Although Paul Keane's charge gave his all, Royal Auclair kept on strongly for a three-and-a-half-length success with Fork Lightning, returning after a long lay-off, putting in an eyecatching effort in third.
Nicholls said of last year's Grand National runner-up: "He's in the Welsh National and has got top weight, but I can use Liam's claim so that's an option.
"The alternative is the King George, but his main target will be Aintree again."
Nicholls had initiated his brace when Noland took the opening DBS Buy at Tonight's Breeze-Up Sales EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle.
