Sub Lieutenant and David Mullins© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Henry De Bromhead and owner Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud claimed both big prizes at Down Royal today as Sub Lieutenant landed the Grade 2 Titanic Belfast Chase, 35 minutes after the pair won the Grade 1 JNwine.com Champion Chase with Valseur Lido
Sub Lieutenant, a son of Brian Boru and a Grade 3 winning novice chaser for trainer Sandra Hughes last season, today led from the fourth fence and in the end, under David Mullins, proved three and a half lengths too strong for Gigginstown’s Outlander in second.
De Bromhead later stated “he was impressive in Limerick (in October) but this was a different class of race. I'm delighted to see him do something similar. He's funny, he's a character and is just a brilliant jumper - when he sees a fence he just wants to go and jump it.
"David gave him a brilliant ride. They were hard at it from a long way and he was up there the whole way.
"I'd like to speak to the lads and see where he goes next - being a negative fellow I picked out the winners of two conditions chase in Gowran, just in case, at the end of the month but thankfully he's not eligible for that anymore!
"The John Durkan Chase would be one but I'll speak to the lads and he was entered in the King George but we'll see as he's only a second season novice.
When asked if this was up there with the best of days, De Bromhead replied: “sure it has to be; winning a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 is incredible. We've been given an amazing opportunity and we want to try and take it the best we can."
O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud was also completing a treble on the day having won the earlier maiden hurdle with Bel Ami De Sivola
By Tom Weekes, quotes from Michael Graham
