Christie & O'Neill combine for famous Stratford double David Christie and Barry O'Neill had an evening to remember at Stratford, as they combined for a double on the all Hunters' Chase card. The pair struck first with Ask D'Man in the pointtopoint.co.uk Champion Novices' Hunters' Chase, with this one returned at 15/2. A winner at Clonmel in January, the son of Ask was third to Good Bye Sam on his most recent outing at Tramore. Settled towards rear this evening, the eight-year-old appeared to be struggling at times and had plenty to do in fifth at the second last. Ridden into third before the final fence, he powered up the run-in, getting up close home to prevail by three-parts of a length in the colours of Samuel Hegarty and Jennifer O'Kane. "He hated that ground the whole way. I knew after a couple of furlongs that we were in trouble," Christie said. "Barry and myself walked the track beforehand and we thought Vaucelet would go alright on it, but we thought it was just on the quick side for this horse. "He hasn't travelled but he has jumped and that kept him in it. "I'd say they went too fast. I said with a circuit to go that I think they've gone too quick here. Barry was hanging on and hanging on and at about the third last he thought to himself I could get into this. "When you are champion point-to-point rider in Ireland you are something else and I think he showed why he has been champion there. "It was the plan to drop him out but obviously we would have liked to have been going better. "I never really give Barry instructions, we just talk about it and he does his own thing then." Hegarty and O'Kane also own Vaucelet who claimed the feature race on the programme, the Pertemps Network Stratford Foxhunters Champion Hunters' Chase. An unlucky second to Billaway at the Punchestown Festival, Vaucelet was expected to gain some compensation in this near three-and-a-half mile contest. Sent off the 4/9 favourite, the French bred gelding was never too far off the pace and was pushed along to dispute the lead before the last. Ridden to the front on the run-in, he kept on strongly and came home four lengths clear of last year's winner Law Of Gold (7/1). "He is a proper stayer," Christie enthused. "In any race he runs in, he only really comes to life after about two-and-a-half miles. The stronger the pace the better. "Tonight, they went so slow early on and I think it effected his jumping early on. He was a little bit unsure. In a true run race it will suit him better. He relaxes so well and then he always has something, he stays so well. "That was a proper hunters' chase at Punchestown and it was only four weeks ago. You never come here confident, you come here hoping. "What I liked about the two of them was that they both battled to their wins, they didn’t get it easy and they came through it. "It is the end of the season now and the next thing they will see is a green field."
