Nicky Henderson and Mick Fitzgerald entered the New Year in top form and the Seven Barrows team kept the ball rolling with a double at Plumpton yesterday thanks to Old Bean and Non So.

The latter nailed his colours to the mast for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham in March when he followed up his fencing debut victory at the East Sussex track by landing the Southern FM Novices' Chase.

Non So was sent off the 2 to 5 favourite but did not have it all his own way, having to work hard for his length-and-a-quarter victory over Tidour. Henderson also has the smart Caracciola in the Arkle, and Fitzgerald would not be drawn on his preference between the pair at this stage.

The winning trainer said: "They didn't go fast enough for Non So to bring his turn of foot into play. He can go a bit and is ready to join in with the big boys now on that performance." Non So remains 12 to 1 with William Hill for the Arkle but Ladbrokes were not impressed and pushed him out to 20 to 1 from 14s.

Old Bean took the first division of the Chaplins Bar National Hunt Novices' Hurdle after the Martin Pipe-trained Your So Cool drifted out to 11 to 4 after opening at odds-on. The market was right as Old Bean (11 to 2) mastered that one at the final flight to score by two lengths.

Henderson reported that Saturday's Sandown last-flight faller Perle De Puce was fine after her tumble. "She pulled out this morning all right, which was a great relief," he said.

Watchful Witness, winner of the Plumpton Racecourse Juvenile Novices' Hurdle, may be gelded soon. Following the colt's length-and-a-half victory over Bella Bambina under trainer Gary Moore's son Jamie, the handler said: "He made hard work of it. He's learned a lot from his first run, but seemed to have forgotten all about it here. He might have an appointment with the vet tomorrow morning."