Christie pleased with Dylrow's Cheltenham run but plans on hold Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh trainer David Christie was amongst the winners at Down Royal on St. Patrick’s Day when the promising Winged Love six-year-old Winged Leader was a ready winner of the Hunters’ Chase. While very hopeful of the future with that one, Christie also had news of another inmate, Dylrow, who last Friday finished 10th of 21 in the St. James’s Place Foxhunters at the Cheltenham Festival, behind the big-priced winner It Came To Pass. Earlier in the campaign, the former Robbie Hennessy-trained ten-year-old by Kalanisi had beaten subsequent Cheltenham runner-up Billaway, and former Irish Gold Cup winner Edwulf, when landing the hunters’ chase at Down Royal’s Christmas fixture on St. Stephen’s Day. "He ran well (at Cheltenham) considering the ground was too tacky. He really wants nice ground,” said Christie. "He was within three lengths of the winner four out where he made a mistake and that probably cost him finishing in the first six. "I actually think he is more of an Aintree horse but we went to Cheltenham because of the current situation. He's an out-and-out Aintree horse over the big fences. "We would have been looking at Fairyhouse, Punchestown and Stratford for the rest of the season but it's just about surviving at the minute now."
