Potters Charm (evens favourite) extended his unbeaten start to win the William Hill Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree Racecourse on Boxing Day.

And with the smooth success, under Sam Twiston-Davies, the Nigel Twiston-Davies five-year-old is on course for a crack at the the Turners Novices' Hurdle, for which Paddy Power cut him to 8-1 from 14-1, at the Cheltenham Festival in March. He is 14-1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle over two miles with the same firm. But connections, who include former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, are dreaming of victory in the longer contest, despite Potters Charm dropping back to the minimum distance to score in the Grade One festive feature at the home of the Randox Grand National in fine style.

Having won a bumper at Ffos Las last season, Potters Charm make the smooth transition to hurdling, landing a hat-trick of successes at Worcester and Cheltenham twice including in the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdles at Prestbury Park last month. But dropped back down to two miles he gave Twiston-Davies' Naunton stable a first Grade One success since Bristol De Mai in the 2020 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park.

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Under Sam Twiston-Davies, he was always prominent and seeing off the challenges of front-runner Roadlesstravelled and Celtic Dino, he moved through to lead. He kept on strongly to prevail by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Miami Magic (12-1) at Aintree. Now he will head straight to the Cheltenham Festival in March bidding for more glory at the top level.

Wily Twiston-Davies, assistant trainer to his father Nigel, said: "He has done nothing wrong. But to drop to two (miles), he has done nothing wrong. He was impressive and the horse does the talking. He is obviously very and good and it is exciting.

"He has always gone nicely and he still does the same now and his work has started to improve even after the last run. But we thought he was very nice going to Ffos Las and after we thought we might have something very special. Throughout this year we have been excited. First-time out at Worcester we expected to be a certainty but he won by three lengths. But Sam (Twiston-Davies) said he only does enough in front. But a very, very talented horse.

"I had a few little jokes with Paul Nicholls and Dan (Skelton) and said to Ged (Mason, one of the owners) that the Challow Hurdle (at Newbury this Saturday) can bottom a horse for the season. So I thought if he can drop him back in trip and sharpen him up with his jumping, we can go back up in trip now for the Festival and he won't have another run until then. He has proved enough, he is a Grade One winner, he has won a Grade Two, won very well every time. We hoped we had another The New One again and it looks like we have.

"We have won a Grade One over Christmas and as Sam (Twiston-Davies) said coming in we haven't had one for a while. So to have a proper Grade One horse again puts our stable back in the limelight)."

Winning jockey Sam Twiston-Davies added: "You are always nervous coming into a race like this. It was his to lose and thankfully he hasn't. We thought it we were going to go to Cheltenham with any realistic chance he needs to jump quicker, so why not make him run over an inadequate trip and make him do it. It was almost the wrong way around. The good thing was he made some good jumps down the back and then I think I was awful at three out – and two out – but then he was very clever at the last. So hopefully the experience won't be lost on him and it can help him in March.

"He has come along way since his first start. He has always been a good jumper, but he was a bit big. If you have a horse for the Festival races you need a horse to jump at pace and not fiddle over them and make errors. Hopefully he has ironed that out and he will go there with a right chance.

"The race changed a little bit halfway through as Celtic Dino came up on the outside and put a bit more pace into the race and possibly the only moment I got a little bit uncomfortable was down to the cross hurdle. But when we got straight he was good."

Red Dirt Road (12-1) scored for the O'Neills in the William Hill Offers Top Price Guarantees Handicap Hurdle. The lightly-raced Jonjo and AJ O'Neill-trained seven-year-old – a winner at Exeter in March last year – built on his return to action when fifth at over 2m1f to triumph. Stepped back up to two-and-a-half miles, under Jonjo O'Neill junior, Red Dirt Road landed a belated second success over obstacles. He led for much of the race and went on to score by four lengths from Patriotik (9-2) with Uncle Bert (10-1) a further length-and-three-quarters back in third.

Joint trainer Jonjo O'Neill said: "It was a good performance. I was expecting to see him disappear (into the fog) when they turned into the straight but he kept galloping and jumping. You couldn't read the race with the fog but I am pleased the way it happened.

"He ran well in his first run. He has had his issues but he is nice horse when he is right. He was on a going day to day. We will just see where we are going now. Obviously he gets the trip and the ground and that is as much as you can take out of today. And going forward that is how we will plan."

The O'Neills double up with victory for Fortunate Man (15-8 favourite) in the William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase. The five-year-old beat Gustavian (4-1) by a neck.