Jimmy Ryan was always travelling comfortably on the 7-2 favourite, who won over hurdles just 10 days ago, before moving into contention in the straight.

The 10-year-old jumped to the front at the penultimate fence and another prodigious leap at the last took him clear, but in the end he had to be strongly ridden to hold on by half a length from the rallying Navarone, who had led until headed by the winner.

Mrs Smith gave the credit for the success to Noshinannikin’s lad Ryan Clavin.

“Ryan is the one who has been the making of this horse,” the Bingley trainer said. “He loves the horse. He rides him every day and he looks after him. It’s all down to him.

“This is a local course and he jumps fences as well as hurdles, so we decided to come here today.

“It depends what the handicapper does now before we decide where to go with him.”

Mrs Smith had news of her smart chaser Royal Emperor, who has finished second at the last two Cheltenham Festivals.

“He’s in good order and very good form. We don’t have a lot of options for him and hopefully he’ll come here for the Charlie Hall (October 30) as long as it’s good ground or good to soft and not firm,” Mrs Smith said.

Upper Lambourn trainer Charlie Mann saddled his first winner at Wetherby when Ammonias took the Mercatum Novices’ Hurdle – but only just.

The 1-2 favourite set out to make all the running and looked sure to win comfortably when going clear approaching the final flight, but a slow jump handed the initiative to Celtic Blaze.

However, Noel Fehily got the market leader going again and Ammonias got up to win by a short head.

“I’ve never had any luck here until now,” said Mann. “The last thing this horse wanted to do was make the running, but nothing went with him.”

There was a poignant note to the result as the winner carried the colours of the late Jim Brown.

“Jim died four months ago. He helped me when I first started training and if it hadn’t been for Jim I wouldn’t be training. He backed me all the way,” Mann added.

Hernando’s Boy took the opening race in good style to book a return visit to the West Yorkshire track at the end of the month.

The progressive three-year-old had won on his previous start at Kelso and was backed down to 10-11 to follow up in the Northern Jump Jockeys Supporting Spinal Research Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.

His supporters had very little to worry about after Keith Reveley’s gelding went on three out and he cruised clear to score by five lengths from Greek Star.

The winning trainer was represented by his mother, Mary Reveley, who said: “He lacked confidence on the Flat but he’s getting better.

“He’s always loved jumping and I should think he’ll come back here for the Wensleydale Hurdle (October 30).”

Graham Lee, who came to grief at the fifth flight on Holly Walk in the first race, bounced back to take the Rocom Novices’ Handicap Chase on Manbow.

The Micky Hammond-trained gelding won at 14-1 on his chasing debut at Kelso last week and he showed that run to be no fluke with a polished display here.

The 11-4 chance travelled and jumped well just off a steady pace set by the top-weight, The Merry Mason, before being produced to challenge at the second-last, where a fine leap carried him clear.

Measuring the final fence well, Manbow ran on strongly, despite showing signs of inexperience once in front, to make the most of the 15lb he was getting from The Merry Mason to hold on by a length and a half.

“He’s a nice horse and I think there could be a little bit more to come,” said Hammond.

“We bought the horse off Tom Costello and he deserves the credit because he taught him to jump.”

Brighton trainer Gary Moore struck with his first runner at the course when Tony McCoy got Nawamees home in the ‘Wishing Mary Reveley A Happy Retirement’ Handicap Hurdle.

Tim Easterby’s smart chaser Turgeonev was sent off the 11-4 favourite and looked like landing the spoils when going on three from home, but the champion jockey had made stealthy headway on the outside to keep the leader in his sights.

McCoy threw down a powerful challenge on Moore’s 7-2 chance between the final two flights and on the run-in he needed all his strength to hold on from the rallying Turgeonev by half a length.

Kinburn outstayed his rivals to take the closing Collins Seafood Novices’ Handicap Hurdle for County Durham trainer Howard Johnson and jockey Alan Dempsey.