Regal Encore is to head straight to the Randox Health Grand National after returning to form with a second course-and-distance success in Ascot's Keltbray Swinley Limited Handicap Chase.
Anthony Honeyball's 10-year-old, who was eighth in the world's greatest steeplechase at Aintree last spring, is a 33-1 chance with Coral and Paddy Power after outpointing Minella Daddy.
Richie McLernon brought the 6-1 winner to challenge after Tenor Nivernais had set the pace. A good jump at the last saw Regal Encore gain the upper hand and score by a length and a half.
Honeyball said: "It's a good sharpener because they've gone a good gallop. He travelled well and we know he stays well.
"In the National last year, all he did was stay and went past several horses on the run-in.
"He'll go straight for the National now. We'll give him a pop over National-type fences like we did last year about 10 days to two weeks before the race.
"He likes ground like this (soft) because he gets a chance to get a breather in."
Point Of Principle hung on grimly to give Tim Vaughan a landmark victory in the Ascot Schools Art Competition Novices' Hurdle.
The Vale of Glamorgan handler believed Ascot was the only British jumps track where he had not had a winner, and he duly put that right, albeit by the narrowest of margins.
At 12-1, Point Of Principle was the outsider of five but he travelled well throughout for Alan Johns, before being all out to deny Dame De Compagnie by a nose and open his account.
"He's always shown ability and has gone to places like Cheltenham and we took him to Musselburgh to try to win a race but bumped into a nice horse of Keith Dalgleish's (Silver Concorde) and he injured himself," said Vaughan.
"We thought we'd have a try at a decent one. A couple of these hadn't run to their ability last time and we thought soft ground and the uphill finish would be a stiff test and it's just come off.
"It's my first winner here and this was the only National Hunt track in Britain I hadn't had a winner. I think I've got them all now, it's great."
He added: "We've not got him in the level-weight races at Cheltenham. It seemed a bit ambitious at the time. I'll see what the owners say, but I think we might go for a similar race next time and then go to Aintree. He ran a blinder there last year in the Grade Two bumper."
Le Patriote got off the mark at the third attempt for trainer Dr Richard Newland when taking the Ascot Spring Garden Show Handicap Hurdle.
Newland paid €32,000 for the Poliglote gelding at the Arqana Autumn Sale in the autumn and the investment has already paid off.
Le Patriote (4-1) was challenged hard by Friday Night Light but had enough in hand to gain the verdict by a length in the hands of Brian Hughes.
"The horses are in good form and that's our 37th winner of the season and this is the third time we've won this race," said the Claines handler.
"I put cheekpieces on him today because I just thought he wasn't quite putting it all in, but Brian has given him a superb ride.
"We'll give it another go this season, but I don't know if he'll go up enough to get in at Cheltenham. This was a good pot to win.
"In these days of silly prices, we only paid €32,000 for him and he's got that back today."