Edwardstone completed a treble for Alan King and Ton Cannon when rolling back the years to win the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton - but the race was marred by a fatal injury sustained by Kalif Du Berlais as he stumbled an unseated Harry Cobden while leading the field.
His loss is a devastating blow to the former champion trainer and his owners who include Sir Alex Ferguson, the six-year-old being one of the most promising second-season chasers in the UK.
He won the Grade One Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree in the spring and was the horse that promised to be the stable's next flagbearer.
The eventual winner was last of three and being ridden along turning for home but picked up well to go to the front between the final two fences before holding on to score by a length-and-three-quarters from Master Chewy.
Robin Smith, assistant to winning trainer Alan King, said: “It was wonderful. He is 12 now and he hasn’t won for a couple of years so that was just superb. You have been to the yard, and you have seen him go up the gallops, and at the age of 12 to still be going with the enthusiasm he does can’t help but put a smile on your face.
"I don’t know what I was thinking turning in as I was starting to scratch my head. Anyway, when Tom switched him out he really picked up and he put in a good jump at the second last.
"It is huge as he is just so special to the yard. A lot of people put in a lot of hard work. The Abrey family and Thurtle family have been great supporters of the yard and it has just been a wonderful journey.
"Chasing around Jonbon has been tough for him over the past couple of seasons. Going over two and a half miles has just given us another option. It is just wonderful to get his head in front and it means an awful lot.
“At least whoever is sitting next to him on the plane should have a decent time! I’m sure there will be a few drinks!”
Cannon said: “He has been the mainstay of my career and I definitely wouldn’t have been anywhere near where I am now without him. He is still showing a bit of heart for it and I’m delighted. It felt great. He travelled well the whole way around. I thought I was beat turning in, but he stayed on well.
“I thought I was going to be third turning in, but the other two got racing slightly sooner than me and once he had a sniff of it he is a professional and he put his head down going to the last and did it nicely.
“I think he is testament to Alan King’s training more than anything as he turned up today like a fresh six-year-old and that takes a bit of doing. I’m just the lucky one who gets to ride him and steer him around like today.
“He felt like there was a bit of life left in him today so we will have to see how he comes out of this and see what races are on the horizon. You get forgotten about pretty quickly in this game and I was very lucky that I rode a lot of Alan’s over the last few years. It wasn’t something I took for granted, but I’ve had a quieter time season, however that is just how it has worked out.
“I’ve been in it long enough to know it swings and roundabouts and you only need your own luck to go one way, or someone else's luck to go another way, and things turn around pretty quickly. It is just a case of keeping your head down and just getting on with it really and wins like this all help.”
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