Detroit City took his sequence of wins over timber to six and cemented his position at the head of the Champion Hurdle market with an all-the-way success in the Boylesports.com International at Cheltenham on Saturday.

A world of expectation rested on the shoulders of the young grey heading into the £200,000 race - the second richest hurdle event in the calendar - as he locked horns with dual Champion Hurdle hero Hardy Eustace.

But despite the best efforts of the tenacious old warrior, the Philip Hobbs-trained four-year-old came out on top to strengthen his grip on the Smurfit Kappa-sponsored blue riband in March. Four went to post for the former Bula Hurdle but bookmakers believed it to represent something of a match between the two big guns, with Detroit City sent off the 4 to 6 favourite to add this Grade Two contest to his growing haul.

Richard Johnson allowed his mount to stride on at the head of affairs and despite some sloppy jumping, he held off the tough-as-teak Hardy Eustace (6 to 4) by a length, although the nine-year-old was making serious inroads after the last.

Hardy Eustace was left at 14 to 1 for a hat-trick of wins in the Champion Hurdle.

He put in his usual round of slick jumping under Conor O'Dwyer but found Detroit City hard to peg back after he nicked a few lengths off the turn, although he was 10-lengths clear of third-placed Crow Wood.

His trainer Dessie Hughes was far from downcast, though, and said: "We'll see in March as he was beaten a length giving away 4lb and it was a messy race. He'll run next in the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January."

Exotic Dancer became just the third horse to complete the Paddy Power Gold Cup and boylesports.com Gold Cup double in the same season when storming to victory under Tony Dobbin. Only Pegwell Bay in 1988 and Senor El Betrutti in 1997 have pulled off the feat in the previous 37 runnings of the latter, and Jonjo O'Neill's six-year-old did it in some style when landing the £150,000 contest. Champion jockey Tony McCoy had given him a copybook ride when creeping into contention and flying up the hill four weeks ago and Dobbin repeated the trick.

The rider had been well-versed by McCoy and after making headway following the 11th fence, he produced the 8 to 1 chance with a fierce challenge approaching the second-last.

A mistake from Knowhere handed Exotic Dancer the advantage at that point and he never looked like being caught thereafter, with Dobbin driving him out for a length and a half verdict.

Taranis, sent off the 3 to 1 favourite finished a further three and a half lengths back in third under Ruby Walsh.

n Danny Barry, who worked for the late Gordon Richards for over nine years but is now based near Dundalk, completed 65 to 1 double with the well-backed pair Black Chalk and Bogus Dreams at Musselburgh yesterday. Black Chalk opened the scoring under Noel McParlan in the Musselburgh News Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase, taking up the running heading to the fourth fence and making the rest to win by nine lengths from Sports Express.

Bogus Dreams, previously trained by Len Lungo, had the assistance of Paul Moloney and there was certainly plenty of confidence behind his chance in the East Lothian Council Levenhall Handicap Hurdle. He justified it with a convincing two-and-half-length success over Sir Night.

n Collier Hill capped what has been a glorious second half of the season when leading home a clean sweep for the European raiders in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin. Alan Swinbank's runner just held John Oxx's Kastoria and the French filly Shamdala in a thrilling finish to the Group One contest. The eight-year-old was completing a hat-trick of wins after taking the Stockholm Cup in Sweden and the Canadian International at Woodbine on his last two starts.

It was nip and tuck for Collier Hill in the final 100 yards but the post came just in time and the veteran held on by a nose.

Oxx took the unlucky defeat of Kastoria on the chin and she could head to Dubai for a rematch on her final run before retiring to the paddocks. The trainer said: "She ran a cracker and that was right up to her best form. She likes fast ground and in that respect Dubai will suit. She'll be covered at some time next year but Dubai would fit in with the mating plan timing-wise."