Gold Medallist leads Pole Star. (Getty Images)

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Gold Medallist, ante-post co-favourite for the Royal & Sun Alliance Hurdle, remained unbeaten after his third straight win, taking the Braybrook Racing Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Huntingdon.

He made all under jockey Richard Johnson on really testing ground to beat Pole Star by half-a-length but the bookies were not that impressed. Coral and Paddy Power both eased him out to 5-1 from 9-2 for the Cheltenham Festival race.

The conditions, though, were not favourable and Sarah Hobbs, assistant to trainer Phillip Hobbs, was more than satisfied with Gold Medallist's performance.

She said of the 4-6 winner: "We're really pleased as he needed the run before Cheltenham. He gets a little bit stuffy, but Richard said he is the perfect racehorse.

"He stays, he jumps and he tries. He's a very exciting horse with a lovely attitude and is very relaxed about everything. Today the ground wasn't perfect for him - he wanted good ground, really."

James Fanshawe, trainer of the runner-up, said: "Providing he is okay, we will go for the Sun Alliance. That is the race that his owner Mr Paul Green is keen to go for."