Another Promise's Cheltenham hopes took a big knock when he finished last of 16, beaten 50 lengths, behind Polly Whitefoot in the Gosforth Decorating & Building Services Handicap Hurdle on his seasonal debut at Newcastle.
But trainer Ferdy Murphy has certainly not ruled the nine-year-old out of the Festival next month.
The betting suggested it was just a question of how far he would win, even though he was reverting to hurdling, and he started at 4-7 with the next horse in the betting on offer at 12-1.
Another Promise travelled all right, but when Timmy Murphy asked him to make ground after the fourth-last he found little, and when brought under pressure there was still no response.
He gradually faded and trailed the field home in his own time.
The trainer said: "He is perfectly all right. Timmy said he was happy with him, but when he asked him to quicken up he felt like a three-mile chaser.
"Obviously he is better over fences, and all our horses are better for a run."
The Queen Mother Champion Chase has been touted as a possible target for Another Promise, and Murphy went on: "I won't be losing any sleep over it. We will see how he is in the next few days and then look at our options for Cheltenham.
"There are handicaps there for him, too. He was a good horse and he is still a good horse."
Polly Whitefoot is trained by Donald Whillans and was ridden by his son Garry, who said: "That is my second winner. She is very game and found more when the second horse came to challenge. She is very tough."
The two Murphys had better luck when Trisons Star gained his third course success and sixth in all with a game effort in the saltwellsigns.co.uk Handicap Chase.
The trainer went on: "He has his own way of doing it and Timmy said he keeps a little bit back for himself, but he seems to come alight here."
Murphy is keeping his fingers crossed that his stable jockey Graham Lee, who sustained a double fracture of his jaw at Huntingdon, will be fit to ride at the Festival.
He added: "It would be a massive bonus if Graham is back for Cheltenham, he is a big cog in the stable wheel and everything revolves around him.
"He is a marvellous man to have on your side and we are desperate to have him back. But the main thing is that Graham is OK and gets back 100 per cent whenever that is."
Leading amateur Tom Greenall completed a double on Ignotus and Realism in the first and second divisions of the Saltwell Signs Maiden Hurdle, but was left reflecting that it could well have been a treble.
Ignotus finished runner-up at Catterick last time out, prompting an inquiry at which trainer Alan Swinbank was fined £5,000 and conditional Thomas Thompson suspended, with the horse banned from running for 40 days.
It looked as if Ignotus (7-4) was going to have to be content with second spot again when Best Prospect came to challenge, but he found more to hold on by one and a half lengths.
Mick Easterby's Realism (15-8) was rather more impressive, quickening to lead approaching the penultimate flight and going away to score by 17 lengths from Diamond Frontier.
Easterby's son David said: "His owner claimed him one day at York and we had a look back and saw he had had one run over hurdles and Graham Lee, who rode him there, said he could win a novice or maiden hurdle.
"I think he won so well because it was such a bad race, so we will have to try him in a novice under a penalty and see how he goes there."
Nortonthorpe Lad (16-1) doubled up for the Easterby camp in the James Fletcher Marquee & Pavilion Hire Handicap Hurdle, but he was ridden by Dougie Costello, even though Greenall's father Lord Daresbury is one of the six-year-old's part-owners.
Greenall rode the stable's other runner Tracer, who finished fourth, and David Easterby went on: "Thomas came back with encouraging comments about Tracer at Musselburgh, so I thought I should leave him on him."
Cornerback (11-2) ran below expectations last time at Sedgefield, but she was back to her best in the Saltwell Signs Mares Only Maiden Hurdle and she ran out a convincing six-length winner in the hands of Tony Dobbin.
Trainer Nicky Richards said: "She ran terrible at Sedgefield. I thought she would nearly win and though she did strike into herself, it wasn't a lot. I put it down to the track. The ups and downs did not suit her and this course was more her job. She jumped great."
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