Valseur Lido and Bryan Cooper are perfect again at the last© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins brought up a treble (Kalkir and Nichols Canyon earlier) and Gigginstown House Stud and Bryan Cooper a double as Valseur Lido led home a 1-3-4 for the powerful Westmeath-based outfit in the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.
Gigginstown and Cooper had taken the Hatton's Grace thirty five minutes earlier with Sandra Hughes' Lieutenant Colonel and her Curragh yard supplied the favourite for the Drinmore too in the shape of Barry Connell's The Tullow Tank (ultimately filled the fifth spot).
However that one was struggling from a fair way out as Gigginstown's left jumping Real Steel and Apache Stronghold cut it out up front.
Cooper was never panicked on Valseur Lido though. He switched inside the front pair in the straight, delivered his challenge, and eventually impressively came home eight lengths to the good from Apache Stronghold.
In the maroon and white too, the aforementioned Real Steel was four and a half lengths back in third. It was another seven and a half lengths to Band Of Blood in fourth.
It's been an up and down day for Mullins with the highly-touted Allez Colombieres pulling up injured in the Royal Bond and Perfect Gentleman (fell) and Alelchi Inois (pulled up) didn't get round in the Drinmore. Closutton's Zaidpour the market-leader, fell in the Hatton's Grace as well.
Mullins commented: "He jumped well and for his second time over fences was very clever. He keeps doing more than I think he's able to do.
"He's much more comfortable over fences. I'd be thinking of the RSA, or the JLT, at the moment. I wouldn't be looking to go back in trip with him at this stage."
Boylesports go 10/1 Valseur Lido for RSA and 6/1 for the JLT whilst with Betfair it's 10/1 (from 16/1) Valseur Lido for the RSA and 6/1 (from 12/1) for the JLT. (AM & EM)
