12 is the magic number for Mullins

Valseur Lido was sent off at the prohibitive odds of 1/12 and hardly got out of first gear when following up an easy Cork win last month with an equally emphatic success in the two-mile novice hurdle at Navan.

Nothing amazing about that you might say but this was the twelfth odds-on chance from the Willie Mullins yard in the past fortnight and they have ALL WON! (Royal Caviar 1/4fav subsequently demoted on appeal after taking the bumper here last Sunday).

Those bookmakers who laid the hot-pot never held out much chance of getting him turned over as Davy Russell had an armchair ride.

The French import was prominent throughout leading from halfway, and Russell hardly moved a muscle as he effortlessly asserted on the run-in to beat King William by just over four lengths. Age Of Glory was soundly beaten back in third.

Russell said, “I just let him go on as he was jumping so well. There was no point interfering with him. He’s a great jumper both long and short, and he flew the last when I asked him.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson