Sir Alex Ferguson celebrated a £139,000 payday as Gold Cup hope Protektorat spearheaded a huge double at Haydock.
Defying a sizeable drift in the betting, the young pretender to the Festival crown made a deep impression in the Merseyside mud. But last year's Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard found it too much of an ask and was pulled up by Rachael Blackmore in the straight.
As the odds on favourite's jumping faltered, Protektorat (15-2) produced some bold jumps for Harry Skelton. His mount led the field at the fourth last fence and brushed aside Eldorado Allen's brief challenge, keeping up the gallop for an 11-length supremacy.
First prize for Ferguson and the team was £113,870, while Hitman, carrying the same colours, earned £26,015 by winning the Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Graduation Chase. It kept up their good run, as Hermes Allen impressed Cheltenham racegoers little over a week ago.
Ferguson, at Haydock after a recent visit to Australia for the Melbourne Cup, hugged Protektorat's co-owners John Hales and Ged Mason in jubilant scenes.
"That performance by Protektorat was fantastic," the Manchester United legend said.
"We did think he would improve from last year, he was a young horse that went in the Gold Cup – ended up third. But today he has showed his maturity and we are very pleased."
Protektorat's odds to go two places better than last year's Gold Cup third tumbled to 10-1 with William Hill. The chaser gave Alcester trainer Dan Skelton the biggest success of his career so far.
"He’s had three goes at the trip – today is his fourth go, so this horse is allowed to improve for a lot of reasons," he said.
"I’m chuffed to bits with him – he was magic today."
Henry de Bromhead had no immediate answers to explain the flop of A Plus Tard, never outside of the first three before his non-completion.
"I just think too bad to be true, and that’s it," he said.
"He seemed good coming in, but we’ll scope him and we’ll check him."
