Colin Tizzard in clover as Elegant Escape forms part of fabulous Sunday FIVE-TIMER
The six-year-old just overhauled Thomas Patrick in the Listed Future Stars Chase on a fantastic day for the Gold Cup-winning handler
COLIN TIZZARD was the star of Sunday's show as he notched up a phenomenal across-the-card five-timer at Sandown and Ffos Las.
Elegant Escape was the highlight on a brilliant afternoon for the Sherborne trainer.
Sent of a 100-30 second-favourite, the stamina-laden six-year-old used all this staying powers to get up in the final strides of the feature Future Stars Intermediate Chase at Sandown.
Victory didn't look likely jumping the last, but under a power-packed Tom O'Brien drive he just got up to deny brave front-runner Thomas Patrick.
Red-hot favourite Terrefort made too many jumping errors and faded to finish last.
Joe Tizzard, assistant to his father, said: "Tom O'Brien said he had not fully gone for him until after the last. It was a perfect first run. Even if he had been tight over the last and been second, it would have been a lovely first run.
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"He was always getting there and going away, and there is nothing wrong with the second horse so it was a nice performance."
He went on: "He is quite an ideal horse at home. I thought he looked a bit burly in the parade ring, but we were desperate to get a run in before the Ladbrokes Trophy. That has worked out perfectly, so we won't have to do to much.
"If he is halfway good enough to run in the Gold Cup there is no doubt we will have a go at it, but it is all about the Ladbrokes Trophy and we have been talking about that for six months."
The winner was cut to 8-1 favourite for the Ladbrokes Trophy on November 1.
Half an hour earlier the same black-and-yellow silks were carried to victory by impressive maiden hurdle winner Eldorado Allen.
The four-year-old brushed aside hotpot jolly Severano and a return trip to the Esher track looks on the cards.
Tizzard said: "He was a pleasure to watch today. He is right up there with the best of our novice hurdlers and we've always thought that with him. After that sort of performance he has to be.
"I think it would be ideal to give him one more run, then aim him at the Tolworth as he seemed to handle the track today."
A treble at Ffos Las included easy wins for Buckhorn Timothy and Queen Of The Wind, but it was Kilbricken Storm that had the tongues wagging.
The winner of last year's Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival was sent off the 8-11 jolly in the 3m Walters Group Novices' Chase.
Despite boasting a sizeable advantage as the field turned for home, the Sam Twiston-Davies-ridden star began to idle as he approached the last, with outsider Cobolobo making a bold bid for victory.
The 40-1 shot hit the lead with just 50 yards to go, but Kilbricken Storm's class got him back up for the narrowest of wins.
"I'm glad he's jumped round and won. Halfway up the run-in he was a head down, but he stuck his head out and carried on," said Tizzard.
"Watching him walk around beforehand, I thought he looked a little bit burly and he had to make his own running. He's won, so we're happy.
"I'm sure he'll sharpen up no end. His jumping wants to be polished a bit, but it's a nice starting point.
"In three weeks' time I think there's a three-mile novice chase at the Ladbrokes meeting at Newbury. If he comes out of this OK that will be ideal for him, something like that.
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"We'll step on up through the gears and run him on Grade One tracks until he tells us differently."
Over in Ireland, Ballyoisin never saw another rival in the Grade 2 Fortria Chase, while star mare Apple's Jade also made all for a winning comeback in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle.