L'Ami Serge gave newly-crowned champion trainer Nicky Henderson a treble on the card when ending a 15-month losing run with some aplomb in the bet365 Select Hurdle.
The seven-year-old, completing a double for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and their retained jockey Daryl Jacob, was revitalised by a return to the scene of his Grade One triumph over hurdles in January 2015.
As expected, The New One set out to lead from flag-fall but L'Ami Serge pulled his way to the front a long way from home with three flights left to jump.
Well in command after jumping the last, L'Ami Serge (7-2) had enough left in the tank to hold last year's winner Ptit Zig by a length and half, with the Henderson-trained Volnay De Thaix six lengths away third.
Call Me Lord edged Nicky Henderson closer to a fourth jumps' trainers title when making a successful British debut in the bet365 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Sandown.
The four-year-old French import defied top weight in promising fashion, despite his jumping being far from fluid in the closing stages.
It was sheer class that got Call Me Lord (5-1 favourite) the victory and it came at the chief expense of Henderson's arch adversary in the championship race, Paul Nicholls, as the season comes to a close.
He saddled the runner-up Dolos, who was three and three-quarter lengths behind the winner.
Fidux was six lengths away in third.
Henderson said of the Daryl Jacob-ridden winner: "He has not been over from France very long. I thought his mark was high enough having seen one of his races in France.
"I just wanted to learn something about him. He does do everything going right a bit and he does that home.
"He handled ground quicker than he has been jumping on and his jumping could be sharpened up a little bit.
"Obviously he has got a lot of talent but we have not done a huge amount with him at home.
"He is going to come into the 140s after that, which makes next season difficult, but we will map out a plan. Let's go home pretty confident we have got a nice horse for next year."
