Midnight chasing Gold Cup dream after battling win at Prestbury Park

• Richie McLernon is unseated by Forty Five at the last in the Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase at Cheltenham Picture: Getty

Already three from four over fences at Prestbury Park, the star of Neil Mulholland's stable lost his lead with a couple of fences to jump but rallied on the run-in, passing Presenting Forever for an unlikely neck victory.

"He only ever does what he has to do and he has a little fan club here now as he keeps coming back," said Mulholland. "He'll have a break now and be entered for the Gold Cup, with possibly one more run before, maybe in February."

Reve De Sivola claimed victory in an eventful running of the Injured Jockeys' Fund Oaksey House Novices' Chase.

Othermix was the first casualty as he came to grief down the back straight, badly hampering Wishfull Thinking in the process. Hot favourite Spirit River, a faller on his chasing debut at Newbury, again jumped awkwardly and was out with the washing when taking a crashing fall three fences from home.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Rebel Du Maquis was always out of trouble at the head of affairs and produced some exuberant leaps to take a big lead running down the hill. But his exertions began to tell at the top of the straight and both the Nick Williams-trained Reve De Sivola (3-1) and Wishfull Thinking quickly swept by.

The former was always getting the better of an argument, though, and came home a length and a quarter clear under Daryl Jacob.

Williams said: "He was very tired at the end but he's a dual Grade One winner and has a lot of class. His jumping wasn't brilliant, but that should get better and we've been badly held up with the weather. He looked a bit burly beforehand and we'll just see what happens.

"We'll see how he is and there is the possibility he could come back here in January or February.

"He's the sort of horse who improves with racing."

Even trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies thought L'Accordioniste (8-1) was a lost cause turning for home in the Caspian Caviar Handicap Hurdle, but the mare somehow got up to win.

The cut and thrust of this competitive two-mile-one-furlong event was a different test to the small-field novice hurdle the mare won at Lingfield last time and she was struggling to cope with the pace set by Cockney Trucker. But the field compressed jumping the last and Paddy Brennan forged his mount up the far side to score by a length and three-quarters. "I'd given up," said Twiston-Davies. "She was up and coming and very classy but was the first under pressure. She needs further."

Peter Toole and the bold-jumping Fine Parchment (17-2) took the CF Roberts Electrical Mechanical Services Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase in fetching style.

Charlie Mann's progressive gelding was going the best from a long way out and eventually finished nine lengths clear of Safari Adventures.