Nicky Henderson sent an strong team north to Musselburgh in search of better ground and while morning rain turned the going soft, he at least added O O Seven to his Cheltenham team of novices.
With Altior and Buveur D'Air firmly on course for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, O O Seven booked his ticket for the Neptune, despite winning a trial for the Albert Bartlett.
Ironically, O O Seven (11-10 favourite) beat Fagan, owned by Ronnie Bartlett, who sponsored the race through his potato company and who has horses with Henderson.
Fagan made the winner pull out all the stops but went down by three-quarters of a length.
Henderson said: "It was a shame those two had to fight it out Christopher (Hanbury, owner) and Ronnie are great mates and play golf together. Ronnie even picked us up from the airport.
"I think after that we'll be looking at the Neptune as two miles and five furlongs might be far enough at Cheltenham.
"Andrew (Tinkler) felt he was pulling up a little in front but he might not want to go any further so we might go for the Neptune.
"He's still babyish but he's got plenty of class.
"He's next year's chaser, really."
The Henderson-trained Cup Final was the best-backed horse of the day in the closing Pertemps Qualifier but Barry Geraghty had to be at his strongest to get him home.
Sent off the 11-8 market leader, having been available at 5-1, he is now 10-1 favourite with Sky Bet for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham in March.
"He probably had to win to get in, so at least he should now," said Henderson.
Shrewd (5-1) made sure the totepool Supporting Scottish Racing Scottish County Hurdle stayed at home with an impressive display.
Racing from just out of the handicap, Shane Shortall jetted in from Ireland to take the mount and was coolness personified on the six-year-old, trained by Iain Jardine at Len Lungo's old yard in Dumfriesshire.
"This was the plan and I'd doubt that he'll get into the County Hurdle. I'm not sure Cheltenham is his track, either," said Jardine.
"He might go for the Cheltenham consolation race at Kempton - he has loads of options."
Tommy Silver further strengthened Paul Nicholls' hand in the juvenile hurdling division with a comfortable success in the totetrifecta Scottish Triumph Hurdle Trial.
With stablemates Clan Des Obeaux and Connetable already prominent in the ante-post lists for Cheltenham, Tommy Silver landed short odds (4-6) with the minimum of fuss for Sam Twiston-Davies.
"For only his second ever run they were really windy conditions to cope with and that's why he ran wide on the bend," said Twiston-Davies, who has now ridden a winner at every National Hunt course in Britain.
"He already looks a chaser and he's got a bright future.
"That will give the lads at home something to cheer, anyway."
Danny Cook delivered Five In A Row with a barnstorming finish to win the totepoollive.com Scottish Future Champions Novices' Chase.
Brian Ellison's eight-year-old looked booked for third for nearly all of the races as odds-on favourite Sametegal and Ittirad fought out an entertaining duel.
But Five In A Row's stamina really kicked in after the last and he powered home to win by half a length from Sametegal.
Already this season Cook has produced ride-of-the-season contenders on Lackamon and Wakanda and he shone once again on the 17-2 chance.
"I didn't think of all my runners he'd be the one to win," said Ellison.
"They set it up for him, really, by going a good gallop as he stays so well.
"He's not in anything at Cheltenham but this is a nice prize to win, I just hope the handicapper doesn't take it literally."
There were scenes of unadulterated joy after Chestnut Ben (18-1) caused a shock in the toteexacta Scottish Champion Chase for Peter Winks.
Got The Nac set off at a furious gallop but he was a spent force in the straight as Yorkist and Chestnut Ben arrived on the scene to track The Grey Taylor.
But amateur jockey Ryan Winks, son of the winning trainer, grabbed the rail on the 11-year-old and kept him up to his work for a three-and-a-half-length success over Yorkist.
Ryan Winks performed a flying dismount and even grabbed the microphone to give the crowd a rendition of 'We Are The Champions' by Queen.
"This is a big day," said the jockey.
"It's Scotland's Champion Chase on Cheltenham Trials Day and we've won, I can't believe it."
Charbel (4-1) booked his ticket for Cheltenham with an all-the-way win in the Sky Bet Supreme Scottish Trial Novices' Hurdle, but whether that will be for the race of the same name or the Neptune has still to be decided.