Chantry House was a workmanlike winner of the Grade Two Paddy Power Cotswold Chase, eventually wearing down his rivals after a scruffy round of jumping.
Nicky Henderson's charge was sent off the 5/6 market leader despite pulling up in the King George VI Chase at Kempton when last seen on Boxing Day, and made his supporters sweat for their money after never travelling with a great deal of fluency throughout the three mile, one furlong event.
Having sat behind leaders Santini and Aye Right for much of the race, jockey Nico de Boinville nursed the winner into contention when it mattered most and he put in two of his more assured jumps at the final two fences.
Former stablemate Santini - now with trainer Polly Gundry - plugged on at the one pace to fill the runner-up spot under Nick Scholfield, finishing two and a half lengths in arrears, while Aye Right had looked the biggest danger to the favourite at one point but weakened on the final climb to the line.
Visually tired from his exertions post-race, Chantry House came back to the winner's enclosure with De Boinville having dismounted, but the horse was soon reported to be "fine".
Henderson said of the achivement: “Well I think that’s wonderful, nothing gives me more pleasure than doing that and it’s lovely that it’s at Cheltenham.
“It’s here in a proper race at Cheltenham. Well done JP, he’s been an amazing friend and supporter and nothing gives me more pleasure, I can assure you. Well done boss!”
He added: “It’s fantastic. We had AP’s (McCoy) 3,000th – nobody dreamt then he’d get to 4000! We’re trying to get to 3,000 and might not be far away actually.
“I’m very lucky. I’ve always said to everybody that I have the best team of owners anyone could have.
“JP has the most horses and does send me some seriously lovely horses. My job is to get them here.”
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Of Chantry House, who was sporting cheekpieces for the first time, the Seven Barrows trainer said: “I’m pleased that’s done and he’s got the job done. He’s had a really good blow actually and he was tired, which is why Nico jumped off (after the line).
“If you go back, it’s actually his first (competitive) race since Aintree last year. He won a two-horse race at Sandown and went nowhere at Kempton.
“We mooted putting the cheekpieces on months ago, between Nico and AP and myself. We thought about putting them on in the King George, but I thought he was sharp enough – he wasn’t.
“He just wasn’t sharp enough for that game – going flat out over three miles. They went very quick at Kempton and he was lost after three or four fences.
“We tried the cheekpieces at home and they definitely sharpened him up, so the big question was whether to put them on today or keep them for March.
“I rather felt he had to win today to stay in ballgame for the Gold Cup and therefore he had to have them on.
“Santini always goes a good gallop, he had to work hard and he did get tired, but he was entitled to and we’ve got plenty of time, so I think we take positives out of it all.
“If he hadn’t won today you’d have to say he’d have no business running in the Gold Cup.”
Sky Bet left Chantry House unchanged at 14/1 in their NRNB antepost market for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in March and Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "That was hard work for Chantry House and he looked to finish tired but it was encouraging to see him get back on track after what happened at Kempton and no doubt Nicky Henderson will have left something to work on ahead of the Festival back here in March."
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