Cheltenham Festival winner Delta Work made a winning chase debut at Down Royal today when landing the Porter & Co. Beginners Chase for trainer Gordon Elliott, owner Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud and jockey Davy Russell.

The five year old gelding won the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham last March before filling second place in a Punchestown Grade 1 novice hurdle and today returned to action with a hard-fought neck win over Niven with Elliott's Ben Dundee finishing a further neck away in third.

Elliott's Samcro had met with defeat in the earlier Grade 2 WKD Hurdle and following Delta Work's win, the Gold Cup and Grand National winning trainer stated “I thought he (Delta Work) threw it away at the last, he jumped well other than that and we got away with it so we are happy.

"He battled well, he's a tough horse and a good horse. We can build on that and see where we go."

Quotes from Michael Graham