Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up Barbers Shop put in a royal performance in the colours of Her Majesty The Queen to take the Blue Square Casino Future Stars Chase at Sandown on Friday.

Nicky Henderson has won the three-mile intermediate race with the likes of Bacchanal in the past, and hopes are high the six-year-old can emulate the progress of his late stablemate by making up into a top-class performer.

Barbers Shop has made the frame in a couple of competitive Cheltenham handicaps, but raised his game upped back up to three miles under Barry Geraghty.

The 6-4 favourite travelled and jumped like a dream, and after being allowed an inch of rein jumping the second last he cleared away to hold Abbeybraney by a little under four lengths.

Henderson said: "That was really good and he has got the trip well.

"I love this race and we have done what we wanted – confidence is what it was all about.

"We now know he stays three miles and he will stay at that trip from now on.

"I know the race is called the Future Stars, and I see he has been given Gold Cup quotes, but we will just tip-toe around quietly.

"The Pillar and Aon would be the obvious races to look at. We always thought he would be a nice horse and he is heading that way at last."

Barbers Shop was given a 20-1 quote for the Gold Cup by Blue Square, while the sponsors trimmed the runner-up into 12-1 from 20s for the Coral Welsh National.

Wiltshire trainer Alan King finally extracted a victory from Coral Cup third Junior as he got the better of On Raglan Road in the Grade Two Blue Square Poker Winter Novices' Hurdle.

The latter, sent off the 8-13 favourite, and was toying with the field approaching the second-last only for the 11-2 winner to steam past soon after for a convincing win.

King said: "He deserved to win a race. We were going to drop him in grade to try and get his head in front. He was in at Hereford but thankfully got balloted out and I'm pleased for the horse.

"I think he will stay three miles and will jump a fence one day.

"I need to talk to his owner, Paul Green, but I'd imagine we'll keep to the better staying novice hurdles."

With that in mind William Hill gave Junior a 25-1 quote for the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

King earlier sent out just his second winner over fences at the Esher circuit as Rustarix scrambled across the line in the Singleton Of Dufftown Novices' Handicap Chase.

Almost seven years to the day that Hurricane Lamp obliged, King doubled his chasing tally as 2-1 favourite Rustarix responded to strong driving from Robert Thornton to hold Creinch by a short head.

King said: "He must be a good horse to win here over fences for me! I have had lots of seconds and I thought I might have had another as they crossed the line."

Helium maintained his unbeaten record over timber in Britain by making all as the 4-6 favourite in the Blue Square Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.

Nick Gifford's three-year-old looked the business first time out at Warwick and followed up with a stylish 11-length success.

Gifford said of the winner, who was given general 33-1 quotes for the Triumph Hurdle: "He keeps improving and the more he runs the more he will learn to settle.

"Off the top of my head I might send him to Kempton on December 27. If he keeps improving he could go for the Triumph later on."

Gifford had to settle for second in the Blue Square Novices' Handicap Hurdle as his Spartan Place was pegged back late by Kadouchski (20-1), with Bob Buckler's River Indus (7-2) a gritty winner of the Blue Square Mobile Handicap Chase.