Enfant de Lune aims for Aintree
Cheltenham will arrive just a little too soon for Enfant de Lune, who could now head to Aintree in April following an uncomplicated 10-length victory at Lingfield.
A minor irritation had kept the white-faced chestnut off the course since a win at Doncaster 82 days earlier, blocking any elaborate plans for trainer Alan King or his owners the Million In Mind Partnership.
One blip at the final flight apart, the 4-5 favourite was in a different class from his opponents under Robert Thornton in the Bet Test Match Cricket - Betdaq Novices' Hurdle at Lingfield.
"He needed a bit of time off as he had an allergic reaction on his skin - he was OK but just didn't look very good," said King's assistant Noel Williams.
Million In Mind's Anthony Bromley added: "He was a horse we would have liked to have taken to the Supreme at Cheltenham but we ran out of time with him. He will go for a nice race as we think a lot of him.
"We might have a look at one of the Aintree races, either over two or two and a half miles."
Aohna (5-2) enabled King and Thornton to book-end the meeting with a narrow success in the Forest Row Intermediate Open NH Flat Race.
Wayne Hutchinson earned the award for jockeyship as he persuaded Temoin (6-1) to win for the first time in three years.
Third in the 2006 Long Walk Hurdle, Temoin would be very useful if he put all his talent to use but has become known for shirking a challenge.
His owners moved him to Richard Phillips from Nicky Henderson this season and Hutchinson was well aware of the gelding's quirks, making sure he was isolated from his rivals so he could hit the line first by half a length from Gentle Ranger in the Marsh Green Beginners' Chase.
Phillips' assistant trainer Gordon Clarkson said: "He is a character and has his own ideas.
"I don't know if he will ever be as good as he was, but hopefully this will help his confidence and we can look for another little race."
Trainer Tom George cannot put a foot wrong at present and with two winners at Wincanton, he struck at Lingfield too as Andrew Thornton enjoyed an armchair ride on 7-4 favourite Babe Heffron in the Three Bridges Handicap Chase.
The popular Clevelander added to his haul later on through Caroline Bailey's Killard Point (4-1) in the Bet Cheltenham Festival - Betdaq Handicap Chase.
There were several more wide-margin winners, with Victorias Groom (5-2 favourite) providing Lucy Wadham with a birthday present in the Bet FA Cup Football - Betdaq Handicap Hurdle.
"I told Dominic (Elsworth, jockey) I wanted a birthday winner," said Wadham.
"He lost his way over fences but his fifth over hurdles at Sandown last time was a hell of a good run so we were very hopeful."
There were ripples in the betting for Cross Kennon (13-2), who took the Ashurst Wood Handicap Hurdle by 22 lengths.
"We have had a few dark days with him but he was a point-to-point winner in this sort of ground and perhaps I have finally got him right," reported trainer Jennie Candlish.
