Christie has Some Man primed for Aintree David Christie is excited to be bringing Some Man over to Aintree after his demolition job in the hunters' chase at Down Royal on St Patrick's Day. The eight-year-old gelding relished better ground in Down Royal as he made all under Barry O'Neill and glided home by 12 lengths to earn a shot at the Rose Paterson Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase in Liverpool on Thursday. The Co Fermanagh trainer has long held this son of Beat Hollow in high regard, and identified this prestigious race over an extended two miles five furlongs on the National Course straight after last month's victory. "We hope he takes to Aintree and think the flat track will suit him well. He's an out-and-out two and a half miler. There are very few races in Ireland for him over two and a half miles or two miles five (furlongs)," Christie said. "We are excited to go over - we go there with a reasonable chance hoping for everything and expecting nothing. He travels well and is a good jumper. You need loads of boot to stay up there in this race and he has that." Christie saddled the former top-class Road To Riches to finish third at 20/1 in this race in 2019, but that horse was in the twilight of his career whereas Some Man is low mileage and fourth in the betting behind fellow Irish-raider Billaway. "He has been very good since Down Royal and we've had a clear run with him. He is very fresh and well, and his work has been very good," the trainer said. "Barry (O'Neill) is looking forward to riding him. He's a top rider and all the top riders want to prove themselves over the National fences. "Our Achilles heel is that he is quite a novice going in against these experienced horses. He still lacks quite a lot of experience for an eight-year-old. You can wait for experience and it never comes, so we are going to jump into the deep water. "He's as good a horse as I've had on my hands for some time."
