Christie wins Down Royal hunter chase

Handy Headon (10/3) made all under Ben Harvey to win the C&C White Maiden Hunters Chase.

The Well Chosen gelding, three times a winner in point-to-points, asserted after three out and kept on well to beat Earl Of Desmond by two and three quarter lengths with Ballyferris another length and three quarters away in third.

Fermanagh trainer David Christie had a couple of narrow defeats in high-profile hunter chases in the season just ended but was not to be denied on this occasion.

Christie said: "He jumped super. He delighted me because we have sort of got the key to him the last while.

"He was very unfortunate to be beaten a short head in Downpatrick. The day he ran at Castletown-Geoghegan it was a 130-horse (that beat him) that had form at Galway last year. The ground was very quick and he felt it and he kept jumping out right.

"I put bonded shoes on him today to ease that but he jumped super today. Ben said it was very straightforward.

"To be honest with the weekend (Vaucelet's close second to Billaway at Punchestown on Friday) and everything else, I was half expecting to get caught up the run-in! I have no Willie (Mullins) today!"

Quotes from Michael Graham