The importance of purchasing National Hunt horses out of France continued to prove key during the opening Graded races of the UK jumps season, with Blueking d’Oroux, Rubaud and Mambonumberfive all successful.

The formerly Arnaud Chaille-Chaille handled Blueking D'Oroux stepped up from his chasing debut to win the Grade 2 Rising Stars Novices' Chase at Wincanton for Paul Nicholls.

A Grade 2 winning hurdler, the son of Jeu St Eloi was second on his chasing debut at Newton Abbot after a poor jumping effort. Although he made a mistake at the eleventh fence, the six-year-old produced a better display at Wincanton, keeping on in the closing stages for a length success under Harry Cobden.

Nicholls said: "He obviously stays well, but we always thought he perhaps didn't want three miles, but I think three miles might just help his jumping a little bit in time. It was a good effort today and he got there when he needed to.

"He is just a bit careful. He is not like a big, bold, scopey horse that takes them on. He is always backing off a bit which makes it hard work for you, but he has stuck his head down and galloped all the way to the line. He was brilliant at the last, but he needed that.

"The second horse is no mug as we have been up against him this summer with Centara. His jumping just cost him at Newton Abbot a little bit. It is all experience, and this is what novice chases are about getting experience for the future. I'm delighted with him."

It was a good day for Nicholls, who is based close to Wincanton, with Rubaud securing his third victory in the Group 2 Elite Hurdle.

Campaigned on the flat in France, Rubaud has been a loyal servant to the yard over the years with numerous victories in Graded events.

In a four-runner field, jockey Harry Cobden led throughout aboard the experienced seven-year-old gelding and repelled the late challenge of Hamlet's Night to secure a neck success.

Nicholls said: "He had a very hard race the other day at Kempton Park, and he knew he had a race the other day, and it took a while for him to get over it.

"I could tell in the paddock that he didn't look great in his coat, and he has been a bit flat this week. We have had to do the best we could to get him right.

"When we went to Kempton Park, he had a lot of hard work and he was ready for his life. This week we have had to do things a bit different to freshen him up. He is a good horse that is tough and keeps galloping.

"Testament to him as what a class horse he is that he can come back from a very hard race and win today."

Bought out of Francois Nicolle's yard, Mambonumberfive made a winning start to his chasing career in the Introducing William hill Half A Mill Handicap Chase at Aintree.

Unable to win in three starts over hurdles in France, the son of Born To Sea had shown promise when placing in two conditions hurdles at Auteuil. Switched to the UK, he won the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle for new trainer Ben Pauling before finishing midfield at the Cheltenham Festival.

Successful trainer Ben Pauling said: "He is a big, gross horse and you really can't get enough work into him at home. Ben was cute on him up the home straight as he didn't want to get there too soon.

"Ideally, he'd want soft or heavy ground over two and might be better over two and a half in time."