Christie outlines plans for stable stars Enniskillen trainer David Christie saddled Menindee to win the amateur riders' chase at Punchestown yesterday and afterwards had news of his talented hunter chasers Winged Leader and Vaucelet. The former was run down and caught on the line by Billaway at the Cheltenham festival, while Vaucelet also had to give best to Willie Mullins' charge when runner-up in the Champion Hunter Chase at Punchestown in April before going one better over 3m4f at Stratford the following month. Christie said: “Winged Leader has just started cantering and we are aiming for Down Royal at Christmas. “We’ll then see how the springtime pans out. He’ll aim for either Cheltenham or Aintree. “Vaucelet is a better stayer and a proper Foxhunter horse for Cheltenham. He’s come back in a lot stronger and will run in a point-to-point at Portrush on Saturday. “He’s ground dependent and I wouldn’t want to run him on deep winter ground. Cheltenham will definitely be his main priority this year. “Both horses have been brought up through the ranks and haven’t been plucked from Grade 1’s. They have earned their corn. “It would be nice to win at Cheltenham after going so close last year but it’s not going to make me a man one way or the other. “You just have to let it go and accept it — you might never win at Cheltenham but you keep trying.” Additional reporting by Alan Magee
