TOM Scudamore received a good dose of encouragement from a double at Stratford on Monday ahead of his Cheltenham Festival rides.

The rider successfully teamed up twice with David Pipe and, while Scudamore's main objective will have been to emerge unscathed, the victory of I'm So Lucky was not to be sniffed at.

Carrying the colours of Alcester trainer Roger Brookhouse, there was money for the gelding despite a lacklustre performance on his last outing 100 days previously.

Although he had a couple of hairy moments, Scudamore was able to relax after the last as the 11-2 chance captured the £15,000 ianwilliamsracing.com Handicap Hurdle by eight lengths.

Scotland Yard (3-1) also came into the JP Seafoods Beginners' Chase under a cloud having been pulled-up on his first try over fences but was a different prospect this time round winning by a distance from Shaun Lycett's Sternenzelt.

The most impressive performance was left until the end as Have You Seen Me (7-2) barely allowed his rivals a glimpse of him as he cantered away with the SIS Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Nicky Richards sent only Native Coral down from his Cumbrian base but the 3-1 favourite paid off all the expenses by running out a decisive winner of the valuable Voute Farm Handicap Chase leaving Bermuda Pointe, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, trailing three and half lengths adrift in second.