RULE changes this year in Britain surrounding hunter certificates have opened-up opportunities for Irish-trained horses to cross the Irish Sea and compete in the non-marquee hunter chases.

David Christie has become the first Irish-based handler to take advantage of this and he sent Darwins Fox to land a two-mile hunter chase at Leicester last week. Bought out of Henry De Bromhead’s yard, from where he won a Grade 3 novice chase, the French-bred son of Kahyasi ran twice in open lightweights this season, at Tinahely and Oldtown, before crossing the water.