TEMPLE Guiting trainer Jonjo O’Neill secured a Saturday double at Cheltenham through Johns Spirit and In The Rough.

The Marie Curie Cancer Care Handicap Chase saw Johns Spirit impress on his seasonal debut after being victorious in the corresponding race 12 months ago.

The seven-year-old, who has also captured the Paddy Power Gold Cup, repeated the trick under jockey Richie McLernon.

The 5-1 favourite picked off Persian Snow at the final fence to win by one length.

O’Neill was earlier on the scoreboard with In The Rough (9-4 second-favourite) in the Lewis Badges Novices’ Hurdle.

Barry Geraghty made the most of Tony McCoy’s enforced absence when grinding out victory on the JP McManus-owned five-year-old, who was completing a four-timer.

Cotswold jockey Sam Twiston-Davies steered Splash Of Ginge (5-4 second-favourite) to victory for father, Naunton trainer Nigel, in the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices’ Chase.

At Kempton the next day, the Twiston-Davies stable star The New One (2-11 favourite) had little trouble following up his win 12 months ago in the williamhill.com Hurdle.

The trainer said: “Luckily, it was a weak race but I’m chuffed to bits. That was just what we needed.

“They’ve put on a new race at Haydock (November 22) that we’ll look at, then December at Cheltenham (International).

“If everything goes well he could come back to Kempton at Christmas.”

Fond Memory (5-1) and Wood Yer (7-2 joint-favourite) also won at Kempton as part of a Twiston-Davies hat-trick with his son Sam riding them all.