Envoi Allen Bidding For Third Win In Down Royal Feature
Aus Stadtwiki Strausberg
Envoi Allen might be in the twilight of his career at the age of 11, but optimism is high in the Cheveley Park camp that their popular veteran can bag himself a third victory in the BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.
It is six and a half years because Envoi Allen broke his Grade One duck in the Champion Bumper, the first of 3 triumphs at while his overall top-level tally stands at 9.
There have been a couple of bumps in the roadway along the method, however Henry de Bromhead's charge has been near irreproachable in the first Grade One of the Irish jumps season in each of the previous 3 seasons, with success in 2022 and 2024 sandwiching a neck-long defeat at the hands of Gerri Colombe in 2023.
He has actually been off the track because completing third in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March and Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson is excited to see him return to a happy searching ground this weekend.
He said: "He's been a great horse, what a journey he's taken us on.
"He's won 9 Grade Ones and is a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner.
Envoi Allen winning last year ´ s Ladbrokes Champion Chase (Brian Lawless/PA)
"This will probably be his last season, I would guess, so let's how he runs on Saturday and go from there.
"He has actually had one or 2 down days, however there have actually been a lot more excellent days than bad. Even the times he's been beaten at Cheltenham he's been positioned in a Champ Chase and a Ryanair - his CV is simply wonderful.
"Henry states he maintains his enthusiasm and if he can get 10 Grade Ones it would be remarkable, however as the old stating he goes he owes us absolutely nothing."
Spillane's Tower is a notable non-runner due to inappropriate ground while Gordon Elliott likewise ruled out Stellar Story.
He still saddles the returning Found A Fifty, Galway Plate and PWC Champion Chase winner Western Fold, with the field finished by Noel Meade's Affordale Fury and Keith Watson's rank outsider Flash Collonges.