Regent’s Stroll opened his account over fences at the second time of asking in the PricedUp The Jumps 'Chasing Excellence' Beginners' Chase at Wincanton.
Sent off the 4/11 favourite to beat his his sole rival Jeriko Du Reponet, he went to the front as the tapes went up and never saw his rival.
Crucially, with the hood re-fitted, he settled better than when third on his reappearance in the Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury, and jumped fluently under Harry Cobden.
He raced wide throughout but had the measure of the runner-up, who wasn’t as good in the fencing department, between the last two.
At the line he was four-and-a-half lengths in front. Paul Nicholls' charge is unchanged at 50/1 for the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham with Paddy Power and Sky Bet.
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"It was everything we could have asked for," the winning trainer told Racing TV. "From the way he behaved beforehand, the way he travelled in the race and his jumping was fantastic. He's learning at last.
"I've been quite hard on him the last ten days just to take the freshness off him. I think the big thing is we made an error at Newbury in taking the hood and ring-bit off him. They're extra brakes really but he'd been so good at home, he caught us by surprise by being so free there. We've learned a lesson, he learned a lesson and I think Harry learned a lot about him that day. Today was ideal, hands down on his withers, he was relaxed and jumped really, really well and that's what we want to see in the future.
"We've always thought a lot about him and the times he's been beat is because of a bit of immaturity but we can build on that and keep building on that. I said to the guys don't over face him this year, it's all about next season, that's when we can start dreaming about him, but we need to get some experience into him and hope he continues as he was today.
"Ultimately he is a three-mile horse. He's bred to stay and there's a lot stamina in the family. He jumps really well and was always a chaser, we just filled a bit of time over hurdles. When you've got these good horses you've got to give them time and had we gone chasing last year it would have been a year too soon. You've got to look after them.
"He has the size and scope to make a fantastic chaser but we need to keep on top of him and get experience into him. I haven't got a clue where he'll go next. We had toyed with the idea of looking at Kempton in ten days' time but I said to Harry that's probably too soon for him. We don't want to buzz him up and we can switch him off now and give him a bit of a break.
"There are some lovely targets in the spring, races like the Pendil and Scilly Isles, nice novice chases at Aintree and we could even consider Cheltenham but an immediate plan, I haven't got one."
Could he follow in Caldwell Potter's hoofprints and head to the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase in March?
"Possibly but I'm not sure he wants to run in handicaps with 18 runners," the trainer continued. "I'm not sure. I'll talk to all the guys and I said to them we'll pick our targets and not be too ambitious this year. I want to keep a lid on him and build for the future."
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