Gary Moore saw his son Jamie foiled by Tony McCoy as the two jockeys dominated the finish of the opening contest at Sandown Park this afternoon.
Brighton trainer Moore sent out a one-two in the Ladbrokes Freephone 0808 1000 421 Juvenile Novices' Hurdle but it was McCoy, riding 8-1 chance Diego Cao, who got the better of 2-1 favourite Nation State, partnered by Moore jnr, in a driving finish.
They jumped the last together, but the champion just got Diego Cao home by three parts of a length.
First and second are both generally available at 33-1 for Cheltenham's JCB Triumph Hurdle in March. Third-placed Iron Man did well to stick on for each-way punters given the appalling mess he made of the second-last flight under Timmy Murphy.
McCoy was at it again in the following ladbrokesgames.com Mares' Only Handicap Hurdle when Bongo Fury upstaged better-fancied stablemate La Lambertine.
McCoy was always going sweetly aboard the well-backed 13-2 winner and drew alongside Timmy Murphy and his Martin Pipe-trained stablemate at the final flight.
Accelerating away on the run-in, Bongo Fury stayed on to score by two and a half lengths.
McCoy completed a hat-trick when steering Tamarinbleu to success in the most valuable race of the day, the Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle.
The five-year-old was one of six runners for Pipe in the valuable contest, but despite being sent off at a relatively unfancied 14-1, he was always ridden confidently by the champion jockey.
The pair hit the front approaching the second-last, quickly went clear and never really looked in danger, holding off Self Defense (14-1) by four lengths.
King Revo (14-1) was another three-quarters of a length away in third with another Pipe runner, Desert Air (66-1), fourth.