Charlie Deutsch tipped the scales at 10st 2lb for the first time in almost a year before the December Gold Cup and the effort of getting down to his minimum weight proved highly worthwhile as the frontrunning Gemirande, at 11-2, held off the late challenge of Madara, the 11-4 favourite, to land the £71,000 first prize by a length.

Harry Skelton, aboard Madara, seemed poised to claim another valuable prize for his brother Dan’s stable as he turned for home on the heels of Gemirande with plenty of running left and they were in the air together at the last. Madara then moved to within a neck of the lead on the run-in, only for Gemirande to find more for Deutsch’s urging and edge away once more in the final strides.

“Charlie wasn’t quite sure how he was going to do the weight or what he was going to amputate,” Venetia Williams, Gemirande’s trainer, said. “Yesterday, I think he said he was 10st 7lb.

“He could have gone for easier weight options at Doncaster today, but he wanted to come here. He’s a big guy and he hasn’t done 10st 2lb for a while, but he’s an outstanding jockey.”

In Ireland, Majborough, last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner, made a successful debut over fences in the Beginners’ Chase at Fairyhouse and was immediately cut to around 6-1 for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham on 11 March.

Willie Mullins’s four-year-old made most of the running and then quickened clear after the last to register an impressive six-and-a-half-length success.

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