AN impressive display by Rock On Oscar initiated a Taunton double for the formidable combination of Paul Nicholls and Sam Twiston-Davies.

The champion trainer and his stable jockey enjoyed three winners apiece at last week's Cheltenham Festival and with the yard now firing on all cylinders following a quiet spell during the winter, Nicholls will be hoping for a strong end to the campaign as he looks to fend off the challenge of Willie Mullins in the race to be crowned champion once more.

Rock On Oscar looks a horse capable of adding to the kitty in the coming weeks after a dominant performance in the opening C & S Electrical Wholesale Ansell Lighting 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle.

The six-year-old was a prohibitively-priced 2-9 favourite having got off the mark at the fourth attempt at Doncaster in February and cruised clear for an 11-length victory over Fortunate George.

"He was good. He quickened up well and jumped well," said Twiston-Davies.

"We've changed tactics since his first run of the season at Kempton and let him roll along. He's a good-striding horse and he's well able to jump.

"He's looking a nice type again and is going in the right direction."

The Ditcheat duo were soon on the mark again as 2-1 shot All Set To Go knuckled down to beat hot favourite Banyu by three-quarters of a length.

"He's loads of speed - he was a very good Flat horse," said the winning jockey.

"He had form on soft and heavy ground, which is why we kept running him, but he seemed to love the ground today.

"He showed a great bit of boot from the second-last to the last.

"When he was in front he was green, but hopefully there's more to come."

It was close to being an even better day for the Nicholls-Twiston-Davies axis, with both Vincenzo Mio and Present Man only narrowly denied.

Vincenzo Mio was the 6-4 market-leader for the C & S Electrical Wholesale Lewden Palazzoli Handicap Hurdle, but had to make do with the runner-up spot behind Nicky Henderson's Nesterenko (7-4).

Winning jockey Nico de Boinville, successful aboard Altior and the great Sprinter Sacre at Cheltenham, told At The Races: "I think he's just been crying out for this ground all season.

"We slightly got outpaced turning round the bend, but he stayed on well and reversed form with the Nicholls horse."

Guaracha was a 14-1 winner of the C & S Electrical Wholesale Hager Design Handicap Chase for trainer Alex Dunn and jockey Rhys Flint.

"It's lovely to have a winner at Taunton again," said Dunn.

"He's a fun horse. We couldn't sell him, so we still own him ourselves. He's still for sale.

"We're going to run him at Worcester throughout the summer and we'll have a lot of fun with him."

The David Pipe-trained My Brother Sylvest (7-1) put up a bold front-running display in the C & S Electrical Wholesale BG Electrical Handicap Chase, while Katy Price's 7-2 shot Minellacelebration was similarly game in repelling Present Man in the C & S Electrical Wholesale National Ventilation Handicap Hurdle.

Amateur rider James Nixon said of the latter: "He's improved a lot.

"At the start of the season we didn't know what we had, but he tries his hardest every time he runs and we can't ask for much more."