Vaucelet still Christie's number one for Cheltenham

Vaucelet appears to be David Christie's Cheltenham Festival number one as the handler begins to piece together his plans for the spring festivals.

The Derrylin-based trainer has a strong band of hunter chasers at his disposal and many thought exciting six-year-old Ferns Lock could be the horse to go one better than Winged Leader's second in the St. James's Place Hunters' Chase judged on his 20-length beating of Billaway at Thurles.

But Christie is in no rush to over face Ferns Lock at this stage of his career and will look to his Down Royal scorer to lead the Cheltenham charge, with Vaucelet the bookmakers choice for the amateur riders' contest.

"All along he has been the number one horse to be going (to Cheltenham) with," said Christie.

"He's a lot stronger this year - he was a bit on the weak side last year. You don't generally get deep ground at Cheltenham and he's a horse that likes spring ground.

"The extra few furlongs up the hill at Cheltenham takes a lot of getting and he's a horse who really comes into his element once he passes three miles. He has a lovely, relaxed way of racing and allows himself to stay really well."

He went on: "I sort of promised myself I wouldn't run him on heavy winter ground, but it turned out not too bad at Down Royal and I was delighted with him.

"Down Royal is a little bit like Thurles and it can turn into a wee bit of a sprint which doesn't necessarily suit him and bring out the best aspects in him. But Barry (O'Neill) said he couldn't get him pulled up and he went a long way after the line before he could pull him up."

He could be joined on the Cheltenham team sheet by last year's runner-up Winged Leader, after his successful comeback in a Cragmore point-to-point.

However, there is also the