Farmer Jack springs a surprise (Getty Images).

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Farmer Jack muddied the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup picture as he confounded punters at Newbury on Saturday with a battling success in the Aon Chase.

The Philip Hobbs-trained 12-1 chance came into the race with something to prove about his ability to see out the three-mile trip.

But having been headed by Strong Flow at the cross fence five out, he stuck on well under Richard Johnson to regain the advantage in the final stages and quicken up to win by a length and a half.

Celestial Gold lost his unbeaten record for the season as he finished a head further back in third, having looked to be travelling best for so much of the contest.

On the face of things it was a disappointing performance by Strong Flow and Celestial Gold, sent off 2-1 joint-favourites for a race that is often a key trial for championship honours next month.

Both horses were eased in the Gold Cup betting by most bookmakers, with Coral pushing out Strong Flow to 14-1.

Totesport pushed out Celestial Gold to 14-1, keeping Strong Flow unchanged at 10s.

However, Ladbrokes decided to cut Celestial Gold's price from 12-1 down to 8-1.

If anybody was feeling disappointed in the unsaddling enclosure, it wasn't showing, with every trainer expressing themselves satisfied.

"One thing is certain, we can get him a lot fitter than that," said Strong Flow's trainer Paul Nicholls.

"You only have to look at him to see that he's having a good blow. He'll improve - all of mine will.

"He jumped well and that was the main thing as it was his first race over jumps since Kempton last season, and that was more than a year ago. I'm really pleased."

Also happy with the result was Martin Pipe, trainer of Celestial Gold, who was also coming back from a break from the action.

"I know Strong Flow has been here for a gallop and that my horse will improve as much as any other for this race," he said. "I was delighted. It was a good run."

Farmer Jack, on the other hand, is not even entered in the Gold Cup and his likeliest Cheltenham target is the Daily Telegraph Trophy over two and a half miles.

First, though, will come the Racing Post Chase at Kempton in a fortnight's time.

"We put him in the race when it was reopened on Tuesday and we thought we'd have a look," said Hobbs.

"But having decided to run, I thought he was a ridiculous price considering that the two favourites still had something to prove - he had exactly the same handicap mark as Celestial Gold but was six times the price.

"He's in the Racing Post Chase in a couple of weeks' time with a smallish (3lb) penalty, and that would obviously be pretty tempting.

"I don't think we'll be supplementing him for the Gold Cup. It costs a ridiculous amount and if we were going to go to Cheltenham we'd probably go back to two and a half miles.

"But Richard thinks the key to him might be a flat track and the first race he suggested was the Betfair Bowl at Aintree (formerly the Martell Cup)."

Cashmans cut Farmer Jack from 8-1 to 5-1 in their betting for the Daily Telegraph Chase.

Hobbs will presumably be keen to keep the nine-year-old as busy as possible, given that he now holds a prominent position in the updated standings for the BHB's Order Of Merit and its lucrative £200,000 carrot.