BAREL OF LAUGHS sent favourite backers home smiling when winning the £25,000 Timico Mixed Open Gold Cup as Cheltenham Racecourse's season concluded on Friday night with their popular hunter chase evening.

Barel Of Laughs, made 8-13 favourite after finishing third in the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase at The Festival in March, came out on top but only narrowly for trainer Philip Rowley and rider Alex Edwards.

The 11-year-old went into a clear lead four fences from home but only resisted the late challenge from Talkonthestreet by a diminishing short-head.

Shropshire-based Rowley said: "Barel Of Laughs battled really well. Jumping the last I thought we had won it quite easily, but that second horse battled up the hill. At one point I thought he was going to get us on the line which was a nerve-racking moment."

Favourite backers also got off to the perfect start when Are They Your Own (Fergal O'Brien/Miss Brodie Hampson, 7/4) sauntered to a comfortable victory in the opening Brian Babbage Memorial Open Hunters' Chase.

The nine-year-old, stabled at Naunton in Gloucestershire, was in command some way from home.

Hampson, whose father Mark died last year after a battle with cancer, said: "It was pretty easy for me really. Ally (Stirling) was unlucky to get injured because it is her ride, but thanks to her she passed it on to me and gave me a dream winner at Cheltenham."

Another Cotswold-trained winner came in the Book Now For The McCoy Awards Hunters' Chase which went to Dolatulo, based in Bourton-on-the-Water by Ben Pauling and ridden by Dougie Gittins.

There was a game performance from Woodfleet (Richard Bandey/Mr Martin McIntyre, 12/1) who took the honours in the Connolly's Red Mills Intermediate Point-To-Point Championship Final.