Henry’s Friend took the feature race of Ascot’s opening jump meeting of the season, the Sodexo Live Gold Cup Chase run over 3m, for trainer Ben Pauling with Ben Jones in the plate.

The eight-year-old had to battle hard as it looked as though The Changing Man was coming to win in the closing stages, but the winner battled back to go on and score by one-and-three-quarter lengths.

The Grand National could well be under consideration, with the gelding likely to miss Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup.

Pauling was also in the winners' enclosure in the early part of the afternoon, after Jones steered No Questions Asked to victory in the 2m 3f novices limited handicap chase on his first start over fences.

The seven-year-old could be aimed at next month's John Francome Novices' Chase, won last year by his stablemate The Jukebox Man.

Local trainer Harry Derham described Teddy Blue, as "talented but a bit mad" after he recorded the first leg of a double in the £100,000 2m1f handicap chase.

Teddy Blue, who joined from Gary and Josh Moore in October 2024, scored by three- quarters of a length from 25-1 shot Gabriel's Getaway under Brendan Powell.

Derham doubled up when Military Alliance denied odds-on favourite Soomaroy in the 1m7½f novice hurdle.

Grand National winning jockey Powell was also on the mark when Alexei scored for Joe Tizzard in the £60,000 1m7½f handicap hurdle.

He then guided the Henrietta Knight-trained Loustic Du Chatel to a runaway victory in the closing bumper. The four-year-old was never headed, at one time fully 20 lengths clear, before eventually reaching the line 11 lengths ahead of second placed Bathara.

By Peter Moore