Stay Away Fay’s star continued to rise over fences as he took the Betfair Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

Paul Nicholls’ bay was the winner of the Albert Bartlett over hurdles last season and made a winning start to his chasing career at Exeter last month.

He stepped up to Grade Two level at Sandown in a field of four, including the horse he beat by a length and three-quarters at Exeter – Joe Tizzard’s The Changing Man.

Stay Away Fay was the 8-11 favourite under Harry Cobden and made the running with an athletic round of jumping, only running into trouble when The Changing Man unseated Brendan Powell and caused a bit of mischief when running loose.

Nicholls’ runner and Lucinda Russell’s Giovinco shared the lead in the latter stages but it was the former horse who eventually came out on top to secure a length-and-a-half victory.

The winning trainer said: “He digs deep and stays and gallops. He is a proper horse. I knew he would stay and gallop all the way to the line. It is hard in front as he doesn’t do a whole heap in front.

“In those better races, when you have loads of company and they go a true gallop, it helps him. No one was going to take us on, so we were left in front and we had to do the donkey work and you are a sitting duck, but one thing he does is gallop all the way to the line and he stays on strong. He is a good horse.

“I’m definitely not going for the National Hunt Chase and if he runs anywhere it will be the Brown Advisory at the Festival.

“We might look at something like the Reynoldstown at Ascot, but there are no real plans. He will not go to Kempton (for the Kauto Star), that is for sure, as he will have a little break now.”

Stay Away Fay is jointly owned by Dave Staddon and Chris Giles, the latter of whom said: “He had a lot of work to do. He did a lot of work by himself. It was a tough race for him, but it was a nice, staying finish and that is what you want up the Sandown hill.

“I think the second is a good animal and that is a nice race to win. We are very happy, especially as he was giving 3lb away.

“It was lovely to see him do it over those fences. Around the railway fences down the back straight twice meant there was a lot of jumping involved. He did not miss a fence. I think Harry thinks he would be better with a lead.

“He stays as he has got the stamina. I don’t think he is ever going to be a horse that wins by 10 or 15 lengths, but more so by two or three lengths. He will give us a lot of fun.

“We will miss the Kauto Star Chase for sure, but you wouldn’t be afraid to go straight to Cheltenham. I think he is proper horse and it was lovely to see him do that today.

“Listening to Paul, he thinks he is a proper horse and he doesn’t want to over race him in his novice season as there is more to come. You have got to (think of the Gold Cup next season) when you go and see him do that.”