GUARD YOUR DREAMS picked up his biggest prize to date when taking the Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The five-year-old, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, battled on bravely up the hill to land the Grade Two contest in a driving finish.
Olly Murphy’s veteran Hunters Call appeared to have the race in safe keeping as he travelled smoothly into contention on the bridle.
He jumped the last in front but Guard Your Dreams had yet to be asked for a serious effort and engaged top gear on the run to the line.
Having shrugged off that danger, Guard Your Dreams (5-1) knuckled down stoutly for Sam Twiston-Davies to keep last year’s winner Song For Someone at bay by half-a-length.
The winner was introduced at 33-1 for the Unibet Champion Hurdle with Paddy Power and Betfair.
Twiston-Davies said: “We won this a few times with The New One and Ballyandy was narrowly beaten once or twice, giving weight to good horses. It’s very pleasing to be back here again.
“We’ve had two seconds in novice chases today and we’d have been happy with second here. According to the handicapper we couldn’t win, but we did.
“He’s just a nice, young horse who is improving. He toughed it out and galloped to the line.
“We’ll definitely look at the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock. I think the Champion Hurdle – the Irish have got a say in that, but we’ll think about it.”
Elsewhere, Blazing Khal further enhanced his Cheltenham Festival claims by making it back-to-back course victories in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
A winner on his hurdling debut at Galway before winning a Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle trial at Cheltenham last month, Blazing Khal stepped up to three miles for the first time on his return to the Cotswolds.
Ridden confidently by Donal McInerney, the even-money favourite gave his supporters a brief fright by fluffing his lines at the second flight from home, but was soon back on the bridle.
Blazing Khal has an impressive engine and he makes an error at the second last but cruises to victory nonetheless in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle!
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) December 11, 2021
A very promising staying hurdler for Donal McInerney and @cbyrnesracing 🏇 pic.twitter.com/jpaM1TPBcR
The Kalanisi gelding moved smoothly to the lead approaching the final flight and readily kicked four and a quarter lengths clear of Gelino Bello, who was also runner-up to the winner four weeks ago.
Finally, Coole Cody made amends for falling on his last visit to Cheltenham when winning the Racing Post Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
Evan Williams’ 10-year-old came down at the second-last when still leading in his bid to lift the Paddy Power Gold Cup for the second successive year last month.
Midnight Shadow took the spoils that day but Coole Cody (12-1) got his revenge in game fashion under Adam Wedge.
He led at the second fence, galloped on strongly all the way and proved impossible to pass, crossing the line two lengths to the good.
Midnight Shadow met the penultimate fence wrong but he was still second until the dying strides where Zanza snatched the runner-up spot by a short head. Midnight Shadow was third with Fusil Raffles fourth.
