Champion Hurdle contender Marble Arch warmed up for the Cheltenham Festival with a four-length win in the Littlewoods Bet Direct Maiden Stakes at Lingfield.
Marble Arch was second in the Champion Hurdle last year
The seven-year-old beat My Galliano to justify 6-4 favouritism on his first start on the Flat.
Marble Arch will now go to Cheltenham aiming to go one better than last year when he finished second to Hors La Loi III.
Trainer Hughie Morrison was delighted with his stable star's performance under jockey Steve Drowne.
It all depends on the going at the Festival which has to be
on the good side
Marble Arch's trainer Hughie Morrison
"He went through a gap in the straight and stopped, leaving Steve to ask him
to go about his business, which he did as if it was just a bit of work back
home," said Morrison.
"That could not have been better and will have given him so much confidence
for the big one.
"Now it all depends on the going at the Festival which has to be
on the good side."
Drowne added: "He relaxed and I didn't want to squeeze him too soon. But when
I did ask him, he just floated away. He felt wonderful."
Ladbrokes and Victor Chandler left Marble Arch's Champion Hurdle price
unchanged at 20-1.
But Coral reacted by shaving the gelding's odds to 14-1 from 16-1.
The Smurfit Champion Hurdle takes place on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival, which runs from 11-13 March.