Valseur Lido cruises to first Grade One of the season

Valseur Lido made a perfect start to his time with Henry de Bromhead when running out a convincing winner of in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.

The seven-year-old bounded into the lead three out and pulled away from the opposition to give owners Gigginstown House Stud a fifth win in the Grade One over three miles.

Ruby Walsh kept the ride on Valseur Lido (2-1 favourite), who was switched from Willie Mullins’ stable in September.

British raiders Silviniaco Conti and The Last Samuri set the pace until Valseur Lido cruised into contention.

He quickly put the race to bed and had 11 lengths to spare over Silviniaco Conti.

Gigginstown’s Lord Scoundrel was third.

Their other runner, Don Poli, was pulled up, while the Noel Meade-trained Monksland fell five out.

Walsh said: “He travelled super, he jumped super, but he didn’t do anything that he hasn’t done in the past.”

De Bromhead said: “He had been working very well.

“He’s new to the yard, so you don’t really know, but he did a lovely piece of work the other day.

“In that piece of work he just showed a gear that a real good three-miler may not necessarily have.

“We offered the ride to Ruby and he came back and said he wanted to ride him.

“I’ll speak to Michael and Eddie (O’Leary, of Gigginstown) and see what we’ll do for the future.”

When asked about the possibility of Valseur Lido dropping down in trip, De Bromhead added: “I wouldn’t imagine so, but he’s new to me and Michael, Eddie and Ruby know more about him.

“It looked at any stage of the race he could have picked them up.

“He seemed to be travelling so well.”