Jasmin De Vaux added to final 12 months’s Champion Bumper success when staying on strongly to strike within the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Paul Townend gave the six-year-old a affected person trip however got here by means of easily to take management coming into the house straight.
Market chief The Massive Westerner threw down a robust problem on the last flight however 6/1 probability Jasmin De Vaux maintained his benefit on the run-in to prevail by two and a half lengths and provides coach Willie Mullins his fourth win of the day.
Mullins stated: “We’ve done a lot of schooling with him and he’s just so unnatural jumping and Paul said he made a mess of the third-last, but he jumped the last two well when we wanted.
“We all know he has an engine and it is nearly getting him from A to B, and going that bit slower over an extended journey has made the distinction – he would possibly bounce his fences higher than hurdles subsequent 12 months and we’d go novice chasing with him.
“Most of our Champion Bumper winners have been stayers and on his pedigree and sophistication it was value attempting the longer race.
“It most likely took me abruptly how nicely he has come by means of the sector and seeing him sat final there, I used to be questioning might he come from that far again? However Paul gave him a really assured trip and the way of thinking he’s in in the meanwhile, he simply makes issues occur.
“Once he got over the third-last I felt confident and definitely after the second-last I felt it was his to lose, but then again that last flight of hurdles, with probably one of the worst jumpers in racing, I guess there was always something to worry about.
“I believed for half a second when he landed during the last he might need thrown it away, however he did sufficient up the hill anyway.”
