Paul Nicholls’ remarkable record in the Pendil Novices’ Chase continued when Rubaud made it 14 wins for the 14-time champion trainer after overcoming a mid-race flat spot.

The favourite set out in front but made some small errors towards the far side of the course on the second circuit and was soon headed by Imperial Saint. Harry Cobden started working hard on the seven-year-old. Heading into the straight a three-way battle with Boombawn and Mark Of Gold ensued over the final two fences, but Rubaud dug deep to grind out a victory by a length to take his record at Kempton to four wins from his past eight starts.

"I’m amazed he won,” Nicholls said. "I thought down the back he was never going to win, but he came back on the bridle and that’s just class.

"He’s a tough horse because he’s so much better on good ground. This just opens up a few more things over two-and-a-half miles. We can get him better, I know that.

"He had a hard enough race in the Kingmaker at Warwick and it’s only been two weeks, but he toughed it out there and stayed on strongly, which was a doubt. We’ll give him plenty of time, freshen him up and head to Aintree for the Manifesto Novices' Chase.”

Mambonumberfive hit all the right notes at Kempton on Saturday after putting to one side a poor British debut at Cheltenham on Trials Day with a one-length victory over St Pancras in the Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle over 2m.

The towering four-year-old kicked off a treble for trainer Ben Pauling and stable jockey Ben Jones and continued the exceptional strike rate for the pair, with Jones riding 12 winners in the past 14 days from 19 rides at a rate of 63 per cent, and Pauling saddling 11 winners in the past fortnight, a healthy 48 per cent success rate.

Bad grabbed his first win over fences at the 13th attempt after Jones steered the six-year-old to a comfortable ten-length success in the 2m 4f Class 2 chase.

The two Ben’s were celebrating once again in the finale on the card after Our Boy Stan rallied to lead again in the final furlong in the bumper to beat Moneygarrow by a length and a quarter.

The Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle saw Tripoli Flyer make it three wins in a row after comfortably seeing off the opposition by seven-and-a-half lengths from Miami Magic.

Tripoli Flyer wasn’t the only horse on show bidding for a three-timer with Saint Anapolino going up in trip to take the opener in the 2m 5f handicap hurdle under Michael Nolan for the training duo of Phillip Hobbs and Johnson White.

Deutsch is normally seen ridding winners for Venetia Williams but had three booked rides in the afternoon at the Sunbury-on-Thames track.

Aboard Katate Dori, Deutsch gave the seven-year-old the perfect ride in the 3m Ladbrokes Trophy Chase for trainer Sam Thomas under bottom weight of ten stone five pounds.

Held up early, he chased leaders before leading after the 14th fence. He made the rest easily to come well clear and stay on strongly to win going away by 15 lengths from the Nicky Henderson-trained Hyland who rallied late on.

By Peter Moore