5/2 favourite Panic Attack ensured Willie Mullins' first runner at Market Rasen was a winner with a polished display in the Alan Swinbank Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
The daughter of Canford Cliffs was asked a stern question on debut being pitched into Listed company but travelled powerfully through the contest under Paul Townend. She went to the front early in the home straight and readily pulled ten lengths clear of her toiling rivals.
Panic Attack was due to start her career at Cheltenham earlier in the campaign, only to be balloted out having already made the trip across the Irish Sea.
Mullins did not travel to Lincolnshire, but said: "She was very impressive. I wasn't sure what to expect, but she'd done good work at home and I was hoping she'd run well.
"Running against more experienced mares on that sort of ground, I was worried she might come up a bit short, but she was very good."
Sky Bet slashed Panic Attack to 8/1 for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, making her joint-favourite with Joseph O'Brien's Eric Bloodaxe.
Mullins admitted that Grade One contest, which he has won on a record nine occasions, will now come under consideration.
He added: "I'll have a chat with the owners. They were keen to go to Cheltenham on New Year's Day, but unfortunately she was balloted out. They were keen to run today and it looks like it was a good idea.
"If she was to run in Cheltenham, I doubt I'd run her between now and then."
The winning rider said: "She impressed me. When it’s their first day at school you never know what to expect. She was doing things nicely at home but improved today. She was very professional.
"Willie is good at finding races for them. He’s a great trainer, he puts them in races they can win and saw plenty in her to throw her in a Listed bumper first time. We were getting plenty of weight which was a help but I loved the way she galloped down the straight, her head down as straight as a die. It took me a while to pull her up.
“We’ll get her home and Willie will make a plan for her. There’s a nice programme available."
Elsewhere at Market Rasen
Zolfo claimed his fourth consecutive win when victorious in the Weatherbys Racing Bank Handicap Chase under jockey Sean Quinlan.
The grey gelding was a winner on Boxing Day at the same track, with his two prior runs at Bangor also lucrative as he scored decisive victories on both occasions.
A neat jump at the last gained the 7/1 chance ground over eventual runner-up Bandsman, though he was required to hold off Dan Skelton's charge as the post neared for a head success.
"His confidence is up and that's all we can put it down to," said Alan O'Keeffe, assistant to his partner, trainer Jennie Candlish.
"We thought it was Bangor he loved, but maybe it's here. He doesn't do it on purpose, but he comes up late and gets to the front so the handicapper isn't having to pile it on him. He's so big and he carries the weight, but he's just taken time to mature.
"It's great to have him in form, we've got some lovely young horses and we've got him to keep us going."
Trainer Micky Hammond enjoyed a double, with the first of his two victories produced by Blue Hussar, who launched a late challenge to take Racing TV Handicap Hurdle.
Sent off at 7/1, the nine-year-old bounced back from a below-par effort at Wetherby in December to eventually triumph by two-and-three-quarter lengths in the hands of Joe Colliver.
"I'm delighted," said Hammond.
"It's a drop in class for him and a step up in trip. He disappointed a little bit last time at Weatherby, but this is a bit more like the old Blue Hussar. He saw the race out really well, I was delighted with him, he jumped well in the main other than the one mistake."
Square Viviani (8/1) then provided Hammond with a second victory, pulling away after the last fence to claim the Thank You And Best Wishes Paul Ash Handicap Chase by five lengths under Billy Garritty.
Fix Sun remains unbeaten on British soil after winning the Racing TV Novices' Hurdle for Daryl Jacob and Nicky Henderson, who was also on the mark with two winners at Ludlow.
The 8/13 favourite was victorious on his first run since joining the Henderson stable when a 12-length winner at Sedgefield in May last year, following up that performance with a convincing four-and-a-half-length win on this return from a 247-day break.
Olly Murphy's Strong Glance (7/2) shone on his handicap debut when taking the Racing TV Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle by five lengths under Fergus Gregory.
The seven-year-old went one better than his previous second place at Fakenham, the outcome of his first run for Murphy after departing Fergal O'Brien's stable in December last year.
"I thought he'd win a bit easier than he did in the end," said Murphy of the performance.
"He's probably still a bit raw, he's a horse I think is going to carry on improving. He'll win plenty of races and he'll jump a fence next year. I'll try him in another novice hurdle and then we'll go back to running in handicaps in the spring."
Balgemmois (11/2) obliged on his third attempt over fences in taking the Racing TV Handicap Chase by half a length.
Twenty lengths ahead of the rest of the field, the Ali Stronge-trained gelding chased down Two Hoots to draw level over the last, surging clear just yards from the post to win under James Bowen.