Strong Flow - finished third (Getty Images).

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Strong Flow, a leading candidate for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, delighted connections with an encouraging third place on his eagerly-awaited comeback at Warwick on Saturday afternoon.

The Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old jumped fluently and travelled strongly for Ruby Walsh before tiring on the home turn in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle qualifier.

To his credit, he kept on really well to be beaten three lengths and the same by Celtic Son and Touch Closer.

"He hasn't been in all that long and I'm absolutely chuffed to bits. We never expected to win - I've said that all along - but he's had a really good blow," Nicholls said.

"When we won the Peterborough Chase with Le Roi Miguel he'd had a run over hurdles and he really improved, and Strong Flow will do the same.

"Ruby is happy - he was chuffed to bits - and I'm happy. I couldn't have wanted any more.

"If he'd run moderately we were in trouble, but he's run a great race. As long as he's all right tomorrow I'll be even happier. I'm glad to get this race out of the way."

It was Strong Flow's first race for over a year after he fractured his knee in winning the Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day 2003.

Strong Flow, who a month earlier had romped home in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury, has been described by Nicholls as one of the best and most talented horses he has trained.

He was a general 8-1 shot for the totesport Gold Cup in March before Saturday's race, and afterwards his price remained unchanged with Ladbrokes, Coral, Victor Chandler and William Hill.

The trainer chose to start the gelding off over hurdles as a prep race for the Aon Chase at Newbury on February 12 as he builds up to the Cheltenham Festival.

Nicholls, who has never brought a horse back from a knee fracture, continued: "We want him to keep improving now and we'll look forward to the Aon with him. He has to run well in the Aon and then it will be Cheltenham.

"You'll see a different horse in a month's time. Ruby said he wants fences. He spent too much time in the air at his hurdles.

"He came in on October 1 and I had to go easy on him for a month. January 15 was two weeks sooner than I really wanted, but there weren't many options so we came here, and it will bring him on.

"Having jumped badly at Kempton and had the injury, this was just what I wanted.

"He's schooled over eight baby fences - that's all he's done. He'll now school over fences before he runs at Newbury."

Nicholls admitted that at one stage he was far from confident he could get Strong Flow back to peak fitness.

He said: "After the injury he had five months in his box and then he had some splinters in his knee that had to be removed, which didn't make it very easy for him.

"In June he was still lame and I didn't think we'd even get him on the track again."