Williams lands a Cheltenham touch
Atouchbetweenacara ensured the feature race of Cheltenham's April meeting remained in familiar hands as he ran away with the ESN Silver Trophy Chase.
Venetia Williams and Aidan Coleman lifted the Grade Two limited handicap a year ago with Stan, and owner Paul Beck was even more enamoured with Atouchbetweenacara after he dismissed his rivals by 24 lengths.
The 11-4 favourite caused some serious damage to both a fence at Haydock and to himself when finishing second on his last run 116 days earlier, but did not put a foot wrong in this really likeable performance.
"We have been thinking about this race for a couple of months as I think it suits up-and-coming horses, just like Stan last year," said Beck.
"I think he's the most talented horse I've got, over Tyson, Flintoff and Stan. He could go pretty high."
Grand National-winning trainer Williams added: "He nearly amputated a foot at Haydock - I got a call from the clerk of the course there who said they had to use a crowbar to pull his shoe off the last ditch.
"He fractured the wall of his hoof and we had to wait for it to grow back. He can't go anywhere else now - his next run will probably be back here in the Paddy Power."
Jonjo O'Neill's Fier Normand suffered a fatal fall three from home.
Tasheba (9-2) missed out on Punchestown but trainer Nicky Henderson has plenty more flashy plans after Barry Geraghty steered him to a ready five-length victory in the V-IT Services Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.
"He does stay and we made a bit of use of him," said Henderson.
"The plan was Punchestown but Terry Benson (owner) can't go so the change of plan was here. If I could find something in May to do I would, and we do have a little Flat idea as well.
"He is rated 85, which I hope would get him into the Ascot Stakes without needing another run on the Flat."
The 8-13 favourite Torphichen never looked happy and finished second-last, while another who looked very good earlier in the season, Henderson's Imperial Cup winner Dave's Dream, appeared equally out of sorts in the Cheltenham Collection Handicap Hurdle.
Richard Johnson aboard Philip Hobbs' 4-1 favourite From Dawn To Dusk took advantage to win easily.
"He should have been going chasing but this seemed a good opportunity," said Hobbs.
"There's a handicap at Uttoxeter in a couple of weeks and maybe one at Haydock but he needed a year off with leg problems and although he doesn't want it too soft, this might be the time to stop for the year."
Hobbs and Johnson had earlier combined with Boychuk (17-2) in the Betster Handicap Chase, run for the Golden Miller trophy.
Boychuk has a surplus of ability and although he rarely puts it all to use, a positive ride and quicker ground saw him right on song.
Hobbs said: "He has his quirks but we've been waiting for this time of year.
"The main plan is the Summer National at Uttoxeter in June, but he'll probably run at Punchestown first. There's a three-mile handicap chase on the Saturday (of the festival meeting)."
Picture This (9-2 favourite), owned in partnership by Alex Ferguson and ridden by Ruby Walsh, made a successful step out of novice company in the Endsleigh Insurance Novices' Handicap Hurdle.
Seymour Weld (4-1) and the Pogson family took the Cheltenham Racing Ltd Novices' Chase essentially by default as Buck The Legend and then Lodge Lane took crashing falls.
