Cross Of Honour made the 674-mile round trip worthwhile when running out a ready winner of the John Smith's Novices' Hurdle at Musselburgh.
Charlie Longsdon sent the five-year-old on the long trip north in search of action and he will head back to his Oxfordshire base content.
Felix De Giles always looked extremely confident and a positive move before turning into the straight took the 4-6 favourite clear of his main market rival, Ebanour, before he ran out an eased-down three-length victor.
Longsdon told Racing UK: "We've always thought he was a nice horse and he's got Cheltenham entries, so he had to go and do it like that getting a good bit of weight from Donald's horse (Ebanour).
"I think he'll be far better in handicap company because he hated being in front that long, he'd rather have had a lead, but he's done it easy in the end."
