Traffic Fluide came from the clouds to win a thrilling renewal of the Barchester Healthcare Silver Trophy Chase at Cheltenham.
It made a pleasant change to see the sun shining on Prestbury Park given soft ground has prevailed all season, even for the Festival in March.
Racing on generally good ground, over 100 horses were declared and a quality field of 16 went to post for the feature race, with Gary and Josh Moore teaming up to take the first prize of nearly £35,000.
The eight-year-old attempted to make all, but Go Conquer and Days Of Heaven challenged him for that role, before the latter was left to get on with it.
Coming down the hill, Noel Fehily moved Kalondra easily into contention but he was soon to be challenged by Art Of Payroll, with Traffic Fluide back in a poor sixth.
Bryan Cooper must have thought he had done everything right on Art Of Payroll, but Traffic Fuide - well-backed into 13-2 favouritism at the off but a huge price in-running on the exchanges as the business end approached - flew up the hill to win by a length and a half.
"When he got swallowed up two out I was thinking he'd do well to hang on for a place, but he took off," said the winning trainer.
"I think the return to good ground has made a big difference, but so did winning over hurdles the time before as that boosted his confidence.
"To be fair, if someone had said two years ago he'd be in a handicap off 140 I wouldn't have believed it, as we thought he was very classy.
"I'm not sure if there's anything else for him this season, I'll have to have a look, but that might be it for this year."
Diese Des Bieffes has threatened to win a decent race this season and did just that in Citipost Novices' Hurdle.
Fifth in both the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton and the Martin Pipe at the Festival, he was sent off the 5-2 favourite to oblige under Fehily.
However, heading to the final flight he was only third behind Theclockisticking and, more crucially, Captain Cattistock, who was still going well.
Unfortunately for backers of the latter, he made a bad blunder and lost all chance, with Nicky Henderson's favourite winning by two lengths.
Henderson's second winner was not so expected, as Champagne Express powered up the hill to land the Kingston Stud Supporting Greatwood Handicap Hurdle.
Sent off at 16-1 as he had been restricted to just one run in a jumpers' bumper this season, the perseverance of connections was rewarded.
Baden looked about to give Henderson a treble in the Nicholson Holman Chase but he found disappointingly little off the bridle.
Instead it was Winter Lion (8-1), having just his second run for Fergal O'Brien, who stayed on best to beat Pure Vision by half a length.
He was ridden by Paddy Brennan, who was hit with a two-day whip ban for using his stick above the permitted level, as was Barry Geraghty on Pure Vision, who came second.
Page Fuller made every yard on the Jamie Snowden-trained Monbeg Theatre, who caused a 20-1 surprise in the Safran Landing Systems Handicap Hurdle.
Fuller, though, was another to pick up a two-day whip ban on the three-and-a-quarter-length winner.
Jonjo O'Neill's Another Hero (8-1) made a successful return from the best part of a year off when holding off Singlefarmpayment in the Weatherite Handicap Chase.