DAVID Christie could have said a lot more following his very successful two-horse raid on the hunters’ chase evening at Stratford last Friday week, but less is more in this case: “It was incredible!” stated the Derrylin trainer.

David, and Co Meath-born Elaine McCann, who has been working at the Christie yard for the past five or six years, travelled over with Ask D’Man and Vaucelet on the 10.30am Belfast to Liverpool ferry on Wednesday and stayed overnight at the family farm of Stratford racecourse manager Ilona Barnett and her husband Andrew.

Relaxed

“The horses were really relaxed as this is a real mixed farm with all sorts of hens and chickens and other fowl running around the yard. I don’t imagine either of them had seen anything like that before!” said Christie.

After Ask D’Man and Vaucelet had won their respective races, the pointtopoint.co.uk Champion Novices’ Hunters’ Chase (for the John Corbett Cup) and the Pertemps Newwork Stratford Foxhunters Champion Hunters’ Chase (for the Horse And Hound Cup) under Barry O’Neill, they returned to the Barnett’s Warwickshire farm for another night, although this time they left at 5.30am to get the ferry home.

Unfortunately, owners John Hegarty and Jennifer O’Kane were unable to attend the meeting but Christie had additional help on hand in the form of his daughter Amy, who travelled up from London where she works as a physiotherapist.

The first two people in line to congratulate him in person following both wins were Downpatrick racecourse manager Richard Lyttle and the track’s assistant manager, Ruth Morrison.

Richard and Ruth will be at Downpatrick next weekend to welcome patrons to the track’s two-day Festival, especially on Sunday which is Father’s Day.