Lil Rockerfeller ends Defi Du Seuil's streak Defi Du Seuil tamely lost his unbeaten record for Philip Hobbs as he trailed in fourth behind Lil Rockerfeller in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot. The former had won all of his seven starts last season and was the top juvenile hurdler, but he could never get into a challenging position on his first try over two miles and three and a half furlongs. Karl Thornton's Irish raider Wakea set the pace, closely tracked by Lil Rockerfeller, while Defi Du Seuil was near the back and clouted a hurdle in the straight on the first circuit. Lil Rockerfeller (9-4), trained by Neil King, took over from Wakea after the second-last flight and bounded clear under Trevor Whelan. L'Ami Serge stayed on to claim second place, but was a length and a half down at the line. King said: "That was super. It was very well deserved by the horse. We started this season without a penalty, which helped. "He is a horse that is better over three miles these days and we will come back for the Long Walk (Hurdle) now. "We put so much work into him to be spot-on for Wetherby (third in the West Yorkshire Hurdle) but he just needs that first run. Wetherby doesn't play to his strengths and he needs an uphill finish. "His record round here is impeccable. Sandown and Cheltenham are the other places where he has run his best races." Nicky Henderson said of runner-up L'Ami Serge: "We are staying hurdling and that is a step to what we are going to do. I suspect we will be back next month." Hobbs said of the vanquished Defi Du Seuil: "At this stage there is no reason for it. Obviously that is not his running. "I didn't want to run at Cheltenham first time out on watered ground, then it was a decision to come here rather than the Greatwood as that was massively competitive. Obviously we are very disappointed." Henderson's Top Notch brushed away the opposition in the straight to run out an easy winner of the Christy 1965 Chase. Leading before the second-last fence, the six-year-old soon put the race to bed and galloped clear. Smad Place was prominent early on, while last year's winner Royal Regatta forced his way into the lead after being slowly away from a standing start. Nico de Boinville had Top Notch in the perfect position and the 5-2 joint-favourite went on to score by eight lengths from Double Shuffle for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. Frodon was another two and a quarter lengths away in third. De Boinville said: "He's a legend - what an absolute hero. "He's all heart and kept finding up the hill. "He's given me a really nice feeling there." Top Notch was cut to odds of around 6-1 about winning the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Henderson said: "If you had a poll of the most popular horse in the place, he would win. Everybody loves him. You could not have a nicer horse. "He would die for you and he has been like that all his life. I never thought he would jump a fence as they must look enormous to him. "He is just game, tough and loves it. He came back in fatter than me. These horses are just taking a run. "He didn't run particularly well when he was third of three (over hurdles) at Aintree (on November 11). It was all well saying it was fine but it was still a little bit disappointing. "I think this is his perfect trip. One day we might have a peep at three (miles). "He goes on any ground and any way round. A lot of horses are more talented, but nobody puts more in than he does."
