Poli beaten but Mullins still bags G1 treble

Champion Trainer Willie Mullins has started his domination of the Punchestown Festival today with an opening day Grade 1 treble, which was completed when Valsuer Lido landed the Growise Champion Novice Chase, leading home a Gigginstown 1-2.

Mullins and Gigginstown did suffer a reverse in the race though as their Cheltenham RSA Chase winner and 4/9 favourite Don Poli failed to show any sparkle and eventually dropped away to finish last of the five runners.

The prospect of an upset was on the cards as Don Poli back-peddled and in the end it was Mullins' lesser fancied runner Valseur Lido under Ruby Walsh, which picked up the pieces, moving to lead before the final fence. The pair stayed on under Walsh's urgings for a two and a quarter lengths win over the similarly owned Wounded Warrior

Afterwards Mullins, whose earlier Grade 1 winners were Douvan and Felix Yonger stated “it's nice to have a nice reserve and for a team like Gigginstown to have three runners (Wounded Warrior ran for trainer Noel Meade) in one race.

“He (Valseur Lido) probably just preferred that ground better than Don Poli, who it was maybe too fast for.

“I think Don Poli wants a longer trip - the Gold Cup is a fair long trip with the pace they go and this fella (Valseur Lido) could go anywhere also.

“I've always thought he was a fair horse and he's not too bad on his day. He mightn't have the same constitution as Don Poli but he's a nice horse to have and for Gigginstown to have.”

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson