Well Chief - brilliant victory (Getty Images)

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Well Chief defied every disadvantage as he turned in a brilliant round of jumping to take the £110,000 Victor Chandler Chase at Cheltenham.

Conceding 15lb and upwards to his nine rivals on ground that was against him, he came home in the style of a rising star when defeating Thisthatandtother by a length and three-quarters.

Given his prolific recent record, it is easy to forget that Well Chief has only just turned six and made his hurdling debut less than two years ago.

And trainer Martin Pipe justifiably hopes there might even be further improvement to come from his charge, who became the first horse since the great Desert Orchid to win a handicap off a mark as high.

As Well Chief drifted out markedly in the betting to a starting price of 5-1 (the sponsors having laid a bet of £50,000-£20,000 about him earlier in the week), punters came in for the runner-up, who was sent off the 2-1 favourite.

But Thisthatandtother, who jumped better than on some of his previous outings, was never quite able to get to the winner up the run-in.

He was followed home by stablemate Kadarann, who finished seven lengths back in third.

Given another beautiful patient ride by Timmy Murphy, Well Chief moved easily through the pack to lay down his challenge at the second-last, where he jumped upsides in front.

Although Thisthatandtother tried to respond, Well Chief just shaded the advantage heading to the last, where a great leap clinched the spoils.

Pipe admitted he had come to the races in a less than bullish mood, with Well Chief having been raised 19lb in the weights for coming third to Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop at Sandown last month.

"I was worried about what was in the papers this morning - he seemed to have everything against him," he said.

"But he has come up trumps on the day. He took a nasty fall last time at Wetherby but has come back fine.

"Jonathon Lower deserves a lot of the credit as he has done a lot of schooling with him since. We started him over small poles and then gradually stepped him up to help rebuild his confidence.

"It was a terrific effort to give all that weight to the others. Coming up the hill I thought it might just tell, but he battled on all the way.

"We'll probably go straight to the Festival now."

Murphy added: "He travelled well, jumped well and handled the ground all right, though he wasn't enjoying it. It's sticky, holding ground, which doesn't suit him so well.

"It was a big ask, but if he was going to take on the big guns again he had to run a really big race today or win. He was plenty good enough.

"He's a lovely horse to ride. He's broad, he's stocky. He's a fighter."

Well Chief's success makes the Queen Mother Champion Chase in March a truly mouthwatering race to look forward to, with the Pipe horse's price predictably contracting as a result of this victory.

William Hill and Ladbrokes cut him from 7-2 to 5-2, with Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop the 7-4 joint-favourites.

But Well Chief can be backed at 3-1 with Cashmans and 100-30 with Paddy Power, both Irish firms making their home favourite Moscow Flyer the market leader.

British Horseracing Board chief handicapper Phil Smith, in consultation with colleague John de Moraville, indicated that Well Chief's official mark was now likely to be raised by 2lb to 178.

However, the rating of Moscow Flyer - due to run at Punchestown tomorrow - may also be raised to reflect the Irish horse's Sandown superiority.

"Whatever we decide to do with Moscow Flyer, it's great for racing," said Smith. "These are three seriously good horses and it's going to be a hell of a race if they all turn up in the Queen Mother.

"It was hard to put Well Chief up so much in the weights for only coming third at Sandown, but it seems that we were justified in doing so on the strength of a performance like that."

Thisthatandtother's trainer Paul Nicholls, who also looks after Azertyuiop, was in agreement.

"It should be a fantastic Queen Mother Chase with three really good horses. It will be some race," he said.

"Thisthatandtother wants two and a half miles now, it's as simple as that. He ran really well, he just wants a trip.

"Ruby (Walsh) couldn't give him a breather as Well Chief was travelling so well.

"There are plenty of options for him, including the new Daily Telegraph race at the Festival and the Mildmay Of Flete. Next year he could be a King George horse."