Two tales of redemption dominated the weekend proceedings as Tidal Bay finally consented to win at Sandown while China Rock bounced back to form at Punchestown.
Tidal Bay has been called many names during his career and the fact he went into the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown without a win to his name in over two years spoke volumes about this talented but quirky runner.
However, Paul Nicholls has relished the challenge of coaxing the 11-year-old back to a winning mentality and his patience was rewarded by a 15-length romp.
Saddled with top weight, Tidal Bay (9-1) was always travelling well for Daryl Jacob before readily accounting for Roalco de Farges
Nicholls told Racing UK: "I knew he ran really well over hurdles at Aintree the other day, but he nearly got brought down on the far side.
"He flew up the straight and finished fourth. He might have finished second but for that and that race was a prep for this.
"When it kept on raining to slow the ground down, it was always going to suit him. We knew they would go that bit slower and it would give him time to get his confidence.
"If it had been quick ground, it might have rushed him and he would not have jumped well enough.
"Everything was right for him today for the first time for a long time.
"He obviously has had class over the years but it has never fitted in right."
Nicholls and Jacob also took the other main jumps race on the mixed card, the bet365.com Celebration Chase with Sanctuaire (9-2).
Another smart but unpredictable individual, the six-year-old put in a tremendous round of jumping as he made all to beat Somersby by 17 lengths.
Nicholls said: "He doesn't want a lot of racing. It's taken us two years to work out how to train him and what he needs to be at his best.
"I suspect he will run in the Tingle Creek back here next. That would probably be the right thing to do."
Gibb River (11-1) was also among the jumps winners in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle as was Lexi's Boy (9-1) in the bet365 Josh Gifford Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
Imperial Monarch was the star of the four Flat races on a mixed card with Joseph O'Brien's gamble on going the long way round paying off in the bet365 Classic Trial.
The young jockey kept the once-raced son of Galileo, trained by his father Aidan, wide all the way while his three rivals stayed to the far side.
Despite giving many lengths away, the 11-8 favourite was in front where it mattered to defeat Thought Worthy by a length and three-quarters and maintain his unbeaten record.
O'Brien jnr said: "We had a look at the wide outside and it was nicer ground out there. There are tyre tracks all the way round and the ground is much more compact.
"The ground is bottomless down the inside and barely raceable.
"I was very happy where I was. I was a good six or eight lengths back turning in but I was very happy where I was."
Colombian (100-30) was a gritty winner of the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes as he outstayed Poet in a gruelling race for this Group Three contest.
At Punchestown, it was the time for China Rock (20-1) to step up to the plate and arrest his own decline in thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup.
Mouse Morris' nine-year-old was making his second appearance of the Festival meeting after finishing a distant fourth in the two-mile Champion Chase at the track on Tuesday.
Stepped back up in trip to three miles and a furlong though, he made no mistake as he came home five lengths clear of last year's winner Follow The Plan, with favourite Quel Esprit only third.
"It's nice to win a Grade One and that's magic although he's the magician, not me," said Morris.
"He wasn't going to win anything sat at home so I thought I'd bring him here. There were only seven or eight runners and there was great prize money down to sixth, I thought we might get four grand for coming fourth.
"He had a problem and we couldn't find it. I thought he might have bled the other day, but he didn't so we tried a tongue-tie. It made all the difference.
"He was travelling well in the (Cheltenham) Gold Cup and he fell into a hole, he was travelling reasonable enough the other day over two miles and he fell into a hole again, he just wasn't getting home so it was obviously a wind problem.
"We don't know what it is yet obviously but the wind was the problem."
Hisaabaat gained compensation for his defeat in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham as he outbattled his rivals in the AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.
Dermot Weld's charge was beaten three lengths by Countrywide Flame at Prestbury Park and odds of 4-1 to go one place better looked generous in hindsight.
Ut De Sivola made a fight of it but Hisaabaat held on by half a length with Wingtips back in third.
"He's a very consistent horse and he got a good ride from Andrew," Weld told At The Races.
"I think Pat Smullen will be very insistent (about going back on the Flat). Whether we go back straight away, there's a handicap on Guineas weekend, or whether we wait until the autumn is undecided but I think there's a big flat handicap in him.
"I would see him more in two years time (for the Champion Hurdle). I think next year will be pretty tough for him but he will progress, and keep getting better but my thoughts would be along two years' time."
On Sunday, Cirrus Des Aigles made just about every yard of the running in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp to add to his Group One haul but this was his first in his homeland.
Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe said: "We are very proud of him - he is a magic horse.
"We have been waiting for that (first Group One in France) for a long time and he won so easily.
"Olivier gave him a very good ride. Now the horse knows more about racing, you can just let him do what he wants.
"It was a fantastic performance and we are all delighted."
At Navan, O'Brien's Kissed, a half-sister to Derby winner Pour Moi, was a very impressive winner at Listed level and is now as low as 4-1 for the Oaks.
