Modus atoned for a last-time-out fall when he nicely claimed the feature race of the day at Kempton.
Paul Nicholls' charge had been unbeaten in two starts over fences but he was sent to Sunbury on a mission of redemption after crashing out at Exeter in December.
Modus was sent off the 8-15 favourite in the four-runner Matchbook VIP Graduation Chase and produced some bold leaps from the front to account for Max Ward by three lengths.
Jockey Barry Geraghty told Racing UK: "He jumped really well. Paul said he'd done a lot of schooling with him since his fall at Exeter, which was just a soft-ground type of fall.
"I knew that when he jumped the first he was in good shape.
"He's a good, plucky type."
Modus holds a clutch of entries at the Cheltenham Festival, but is priced at the shortest odds for the JLT Novices' Chase, for which he is trading at around the 12-1 mark.