Ultimate Optimist supplied David Christie with some compensation on the afternoon when he landed the Bluegrass Mare Prepare Hunters Chase at Down Royal.
His stablemate and Cheltenham Festival Hunter Chase favourite Vaucelet could only manage seventh place on the same afternoon, but the Christie stable enjoyed a swift change of fortunate when the seven-year-old was justified his favourites tag.
Sent off as a 6/5 shot having won point-to-points at Loughanmore and Quakerstown before winning a Limerick Maiden Hunter Chase at Christmas by 12 lengths, and his supporters only had brief moments of concern when he edged left over a number of his obstacles as he race prominently with the long-timer leader Lord Schnitzel.
Once getting the better of that rival from the penultimate fence, Ultimate Optimist was able to return six lengths clear of Stuart Crawford’s The Flier Begley and continue a good recent spell for Dublin jockey Alex Harvey.
It also completed a memorable week for the Harvey family, with Alex’s older brother Ben having enjoyed his first Cheltenham festival victory aboard Seddon in the Magners Plate 24 hours earlier.
The victory was a fourth in the race for the Fermanagh handler from the past six runnings of the race following on from Some Man, Winged Leader and Eddies Miracle.
