Mark Of Gold made a winning debut over fences in the richly renewed Houden Noel Novices Chase at Ascot.
Although a winner of seven races over hurdles and three on the Flat, the Gary and Josh Moore-trained seven-year-old looked like he had plenty on his plate as he fenced the bow at grade two level and was the 11/2 outsider from four furlongs.
Personal Ambition and Rare Edition were the two at the front for most of the two-mile-three-furlong trip, with an early mistake by 13/8 favorite Johnny quickly putting him on the back foot and never recovering.
After seeing off Rare Edition, Personal Ambition looked to have the advantage over the rest of Mark Of Gold on the approach to the final fence, but the leader jumped badly at the barrier, leaving jockey Ben Jones with both hands off the reins and in the end he did well to kept the partnership intact.
Whether that mistake made the difference between victory and defeat is uncertain, but it definitely cost Personal Ambition a crucial swing and left the door open for Mark Gold to take the lead and concede the post by two and a quarter lengths to well below Caoilin Quinn.
After looking like he was going to be kicked out at one stage, Johnny who did make some late progress to beat the fading Rare Edition into third place.
Mark Of Gold (yellow cap) is chasing personal ambition in a dramatic renewal of the Noel Novac' Chase
Of the winner, Josh Moore said: “He's a good horse, we were confident coming here. It's a big thing to do, first time over fences around Ascot, it's a tricky course to jump over.
“It was a small field and it was like running in a normal novice chase but you can't get them anymore, you'd rather start here and give the horse a good experience.
“We did that, he got a good reward in that. He's a good horse and I was quietly confident.”
Discussing future plans, the joint trainer added: “He's an all-round horse, he's happy to get back on the Flat, he goes over slow ground, he's competitive over hurdles and he's obviously competitive over fences.
“He jumped so well here today and it's a big thing the first time over fences.
“We're going to have to seriously consider the plans around the fences now because he's taken them so well. He made one mistake, but he made the mistake he needed to help him learn.”
When asked if he felt a last-ditch mistake at the fence cost Personal Ambition his win, his trainer Ben Pauling said: “I think so, yes. It's a shame because he jumped really well for him. He just didn't jump and how Ben was intact . I don't know.
“He picked himself up again, so I don't think he was cooked, but it's a race, you have to jump and he didn't.”
Windbeneathmywings flies with a dominant display
Windbeneathmywings leaves its rivals well behind at Ascot
Windbeneathmywings produced a spectacular front display to win the King Edward VII Ascot Membership Open National Hunt Flat Race.
A two-time winner from three starts in Ireland for Pat Flynn, the four-year-old stepped up to the Listed class on his first start for David Pipe.
Sent straight into the lead by Jack Tudor, the son of Free Eagle was still full of running around the home turn, with a whole host of previous winners fighting to lay the gauntlet on him at the back.
The further Windbeneathmywings (7/1) got the better he looked as he just went further and further on the home stretch, with Tudor nudging him to the line to make it 14 lengths clear of Dan Skelton's 9/4 favorite Moneygarrow.
Pipe said: “We are very excited with our boy. Now we will go to one of the big spring bumpers, it was a very good performance.
“We thought he would run a big race, but there were plenty of other winners in the race. He took us back a bit!
“He's always been a good workhorse, but he just eats and sleeps at home and then wakes up galloping.
“He's quite hot, he likes to race in front and get on with it and he's like that at home, but in his barn he's so quiet.”
Paddy Power initially cut the winner to 14/1 from 50/1 for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March, but soon cut their odds to 8/1.