Champion trainer Paul Nicholls continued his relentless charge to retaining the title with the all-the-way victory of Ornais in the paddypower.com Graduation Chase in front of a bumper crowd at Cheltenham.

Ruby Walsh led from the tapes on the six-year-old, carrying the colours of the Stewart family, and gradually extended his lead to eight lengths at the post, with Battlecry, ridden by Paddy Brennan for Gloucestershire handler Nigel Twiston-Davies, the gallant runner-up.

"We knew he was super-fit and Ruby went all out all the way," said Nicholls. "He will probably run next in the Intermediate Chase at Sandown and not the Hennessy (Gold Cup)."

The Nicholls-Walsh partnership was out of luck in the Steel Plate and Sections Novices Chase, when Herecomesthetruth cocked his jaw and ran out at the last fence, leaving Shining Gale to score by 28 lengths from Tank Top.

The six-year-old was well in contention when ducking out to the right, which enabled Noel Fehily to take victory on Shining Gale, trained by Charlie Mann at Lambourn.

Jason McKeown opened his account at the course on only his second outing at Prestbury Park, with a win on Hoopy in the Irish Times Amateur Riders Chase.

The 23-year-old Irish jockey admitted taking the whip of Donal Devereux, riding King Harald, the early pacemaker, and was subsequently handed a two-day ban, although the result stood.

Ian Chanin on Alexanderthegreat started well and shared the early running with King Harald, but then had no answer to the late challenge of McKeown, who surged through for victory.

Sheena West paid a first visit to the winner's enclosure at the course after Golan Way's one-and-a-quarter-length success in the Sharp Novices Hurdle under Jamie Goldstein.

The four-year-old stormed up the hill to beat Over Sixty, ridden by Robert Thornton for Barbury Castle trainer Alan King, with Walsh trailing a further one-and-a-quarter-lengths behind on American Trilogy, from the Ditcheat team of Nicholls.

"I only have 12 horses in training and this is my biggest victory. It can't come any better than this," said the overjoyed Miss West, who has the Supreme Novice Hurdle at the Festival in March in her sights for Golan Way.