Thistlecrack made the perfect start to his career over fences with a faultless display in the Aspen Waite Complete Business Growth Service Novices’ Chase at Chepstow.
Trained by Colin Tizzard, the eight-year-old was peerless in the staying hurdling division last season, winning each of his five starts.
Already ante-post favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup before jumping a fence in public, his price hardened after this display.
Tom Scudamore set out to make all the running on the hugely exciting prospect and he never saw another rival.
Sent off at the prohibitive odds of 1-6, he put in some exuberant leaps on the way round, with the only slight criticism that he jumped too big, if anything.
That would be being extremely picky, though, and the sky really is the limit after this four-length stroll.
Scudamore gave him a squeeze just before coming out of the back straight and he took a few lengths out of the field and while Aqalim nearly drew level at the last, Thistlecrack scooted clear to win hard held.
Scudamore said: “He was fantastic, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him all the way through.
“It was nice that Aqalim came to me over the last couple but then he winged the last.
“He was neat and nimble, since the word go at home chasing has always been his game but it’s on the course that matters. I’ve ridden plenty who have been naturals at home and you wouldn’t believe they’d ever seen an obstacle and vice versa.
“Every horse is different, they are all individuals but he’s a mighty one.
“He can do things other horses can’t even dream of, he’s phenomenal and it’s tremendous to be associated with him.”
Thistlecrack looks set to make his second appearance over fences at next month’s Open meeting at Cheltenham.
Tizzard said: “I don’t think the horse was nervous at all.
“When he got in tight once he was really good, as if he’d been jumping for years.
“When he quickened up it was a beautiful performance.
“Yesterday morning I was wondering if we’d got him fit enough but as soon as we put the saddle on he looked 100 per cent fit.
“He’s very laid back at home, he has a huge rib cage and you wonder if he’s fully wound up but that’s probably because of the size of his heart and lungs that enables him to power away like he does.
“In two and a half weeks time no doubt we’ll go to Cheltenham. He hasn’t had a hard race and he needs the practice, he needs to jump at flat out pace, this was just a real good school round.
“If we’re going to the Gold Cup we need to know he can jump round Cheltenham, there’s no need to go small any more. A novice chase there (Cheltenham) with half a dozen runners would be perfect.
“The plan was to do two novice chases then go to the Feltham at Kempton but we don’t know. He’s not a five-year-old.
“I’m relieved, we’ve all been in racing long enough and it’s hard to deal with expectations.
“He had a good blow so he’ll improve for the run.”
Ladbrokes and Coral left him unchanged at 6-1 for the Gold Cup but Betfair cut him to 9-2 from 5-1.
