The Sir Robert Ogden-owned runner-up gained a narrow initiative after Farrelly’s mount, wearing blinkers for the first time, made a careless error at the last.

However, Keith Reveley, who earlier landed the Grade Two Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle with Tazbar, was denied a big-race double as the David Pipe-trained An Accordion got back up to score by half a length.

“I got a bit deep at the last but he had loads left in the tank,” reflected Farrelly.

“I don’t know what happened at Ascot when he was pulled up but he was a different horse this time. I’m just delighted to be riding big winners and especially delighted to be riding for Mr Pipe.”

The half-brother to Horus is owned and bred by Brian Kilpatrick, who was quick to salute the achievements of Pipe, whose father won this race with Barryscourt Lad in 2003.

He said: “The blinkers obviously helped and they were David’s idea – the whole thing was David’s idea.”

Pipe, enjoying the latest in a red-hot run of big weekend successes, added: “Mr Kilpatrick allowed us to put the blinkers on and with Johnny taking another 5lb, that’s just got him home.”

Nicky Henderson was left flummoxed after Khyber Kim tarnished his reputation in the Rossington Main.

Sent off the 2-5 favourite after a superb debut success over timber at Newbury, the six-year-old could only finish fourth to Reveley’s Tazbar.

Things went according to script in the early exchanges as Khyber Kim moved smoothly into second place after the fifth flight.

But Mick Fitzgerald was pressed into action soon afterwards, with his mount finding next to nothing under the jockey’s urgings.

“That was not the same horse that won at Newbury and it’s our job to get him back to how he was,” said Henderson.

Totesport offer 25-1 about Tazbar for the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival but Reveley revealed Aintree will be his more likely long-term target.

Henderson enjoyed a discernible shift in fortune later on the card when Chomba Womba preserved her unbeaten British record in the JCT600 Mercedes-Benz Doncaster Mares Only Hurdle.

The 10-11 market leader was three-quarters of a length too good for Theatre Girl at the line.

“Two miles is probably too short so we’re likely to go back to two and a half miles at Cheltenham (for the David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle),” considered the Seven Barrows handler.

Nigel Twiston-Davies struck gold with Knowhere in the Letheby And Christopher Chase at Cheltenham and also landed a Grade Two prize on Town Moor with Battlecry.

Returning to the hurdling game after a spell novice chasing, the 8-1 winner devoured every yard of the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle to defeat Coe by two lengths.

A trip to Liverpool is also on the radar of Nevertika, who registered a no-nonsense hat-trick over fences in the Janet Hopwood Happy Birthday Novices’ Chase.

Edmo Yewkay (15-2) excelled from the foot of the weights to take the skybet.com Handicap Chase, while the David Johnson-owned Mous Of Men claimed a second win this month in the Skybet Press Red To Bet On ATR Handicap Hurdle.