Taking up the running at the final flight, the 13-8 favourite powered clear of Mealagh Valley to win by two and a half lengths.

Trainer Henrietta Knight said: “He really wants three miles and fences and I have told the owner, David Johnson, that we might send him over the bigger obstacles sooner rather than later.”

Quarry Town had been off the track for nearly two months after finishing fifth at Uttoxeter but Knight added: “At that time, my horses were not right.

“He did win a point-to-point at four and it looks as though the bigger fences will soon be on the agenda.”

Thomas was prepared to wait on Quarry Town and did not take up the running until the final flight to beat Tony McCoy on Mealagh Valley.

But the champion jockey still had a successful afternoon as he recorded a double courtesy of Park Drive (15-8 favourite) in the Concha Y Toro Wine Selling Hurdle and Thunder Rock (17-2) in the Oldfield Beginners’ Chase.

Herecomestanley could be campaigned over fences for the rest of the season with a tilt at the Scottish Grand National on his agenda after he won his fourth handicap of the season.

The versatile eight-year-old beat Marked Man by three and a half lengths in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Handicap Chase after already being successful this term in three hurdle races.

Winning trainer Milton Harris said of the 4-1 co-favourite: “I thought about the Scottish National for him last season but the way he is going now, he might just get in the race at the bottom end.

“It’s some performance to win four handicaps in the same season because the handicappers can be quite hard. I am thinking of the Scottish National and that would mean him staying over fences.”

Herecomestanley, who won over timber at Folkestone less than a week ago, took up the running approaching the fourth-last fence and was always holding Spring Lover, who lost second place on the run-in to Marked Man.

Harris went on: “One pundit said he would eat his hat if this horse won a race. It’s eight wins since then and I just wish I was that guy’s hat supplier!”

Peter Bowen has his team in great shape but wife Karen believed he would have been “cursing at the television” as Lady Roania took the Turf TV Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

She explained: “Peter does not like to see the horses dropped out but she can be very busy in the early part and then empties on the run to the line.

“But it’s worked out for us this time and it was the right thing to do.”

Paddy Merrigan was full of confidence when he took 14-1 chance Lady Roania to the front, only getting serious with the seven-year-old to keep her up to her work.

Revenge was sweet for Ferimon (5-1) just 11 days after failing to beat Cassia Heights.

The pair met last time at Ludlow when Cassia Heights took the decision by one and a half lengths and survived a stewards’ inquiry in doing so.

But there were no such problems this time as Henry Daly’s chaser took the Clive Handicap Chase.

Cassia Heights, who was brought down at Aintree at the first fence on Sunday, put on the pressure but Daly said: “We had a 3lb pull in the weights and that made the difference.”

There was a cracking end to the meeting in the Book Now For Christmas At Ludlow Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race, with 14-1 chance Duke Of Burgundy just holding off the staying on 15-8 favourite Earth Dream, who went wide into the straight.