COLIN Tizzard's Festival team has an exciting new member after Fox Norton continued his ascent at Cheltenham with victory in the Shloer Chase, which was overshadowed by the death of Simonsig.

Having watched stable star Thistlecrack advertise his Gold Cup claims 24 hours earlier with a second success over fences, the Sherborne handler once again sported a broad smile after his new recruit captured the Grade Two contest.

But Tizzard's satisfaction was in stark contrast to the sadness felt by Nicky Henderson after dual Festival winner Simonsig broke a leg when he fell at the third fence and had to be put down.

Purchased by Alan and Ann Potts after he blew away his rivals in a handicap at the course last month, Fox Norton wasted no time in paying back part of the sum laid out for him in a victory Tizzard dedicated to the six-year-old's former trainer Neil Mulholland.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Special Tiara, in his customary front-running role, took the field along until the third-last where he was joined in a breakaway group of three which also consisted of the eventual winner and runner-up Simply Ned.

Having moved up in menacing fashion aboard last year's Arkle third, Aidan Coleman guided Fox Norton into what was to be a race-winning lead on the run down to the second-last.

After safely negotiating the last two fences, the pair pulled clear up the hill for a nine-length success over Simply Ned, with the same distance back to Special Tiara back in third.

Following the race, the winner was trimmed from 10-1 into 6-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase by Paddy Power and from 20s into 7-1 for the same race by William Hill.

Tizzard said: "I'm delighted and slightly embarrassed.

"This is all down to Neil Mulholland. We just put him in the system for a fortnight and have done nothing with him. He was a ready-made horse.

"That's what we were hoping we were buying, and we can see that already.

"We saw him here at the last meeting when he absolutely coasted up, and again on level weights with these good horses and he's done the same.

"He's a beautiful young horse. He just travelled and jumped.

"The Tingle Creek (Sandown) is where they normally go, horses like him, so that's what we'll do."

Talking about Simonsig, Seven Barrows handler Henderson said: "It was a hind leg (injury). I thought he was all right when he got up.

"You all know what the game is like. It tests us, and it is one of those things.

"It is not fair for the team more than anything."