Knowhere and Paddy Brennan on their way to victory on Sunday

Knowhere won the Old Roan Chase under a fine ride from Paddy Brennan to give trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies another significant early season winner.

Mister McGoldrick made an error at the final fence and the favourite Oslot ran out of gas soon afterwards at Aintree.

That left the 10-year-old Knowhere (8-1), kept handy throughout, to battle out the finish with Exotic Dancer.

He won by a length from the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Exotic Dancer (8-1) with Snoopy Loopy third at 12-1.

Brennan said afterwards: "I just wanted to make it into a war and if it was a war I would win.

"He's a hell of a horse and what a training performance. Nigel is always the underdog when it comes to training winners but for me he's the best trainer I've ridden for."

Knowhere had won the Letheby And Christopher Chase at Cheltenham in January, then came sixth in the Gold Cup before failing to sparkle on his final two starts of the last campaign.

He'll probably go straight [to the King George] because I'm not sure there's much for him Voy Por Ustedes' trainer Alan King

O'Neill was thrilled with Exotic Dancer, who will now be geared towards the Betfair Chase at Haydock - a race in which he finished second last year.

"I'm delighted with that and he jumped and travelled well all through the race," said O'Neill.

Champion Chase runner-up Voy Por Ustedes finished a fine fourth under top weight. He is now likely to step up to three miles for the first time in the King George VI Chase at Kempton, for which he was cut to 4-1 from 9-2 by Paddy Power.

"I'm pleased it's out of the way," said trainer Alan King. "He just took a little blow going in to the ditch.

"We are very happy with that - especially at the weights and on this ground. He'll almost be definitely be targeted at the King George, but he'll probably go straight there because I'm not sure there's much for him."

Intercasino.co.uk Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase Aintree

1 Knowhere (P Brennan) 8-1
2 Exotic Dancer (A McCoy) 8-1
3 Snoopy Loopy (S Durack) 12-1
12 ran. Dist: 1, 2½

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