Envoi Allen Bidding For Third Win In Down Royal Feature
Envoi Allen may remain in the golden of his profession at the age of 11, however optimism is high in the Cheveley Park camp that their popular veteran can bag himself a 3rd triumph 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 three accomplishments at Cheltenham Festival while his general high-level tally stands at 9.
There have actually been a couple of bumps in the road along the method, however Henry de Bromhead's charge has actually been near supreme in the very first Grade Among the Irish jumps season in each of the past 3 seasons, with success in 2022 and 2024 sandwiching a at the hands of Gerri Colombe in 2023.
He has been off the track given that finishing 3rd in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March and Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson is delighted 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 in 2015 ´ s Ladbrokes Champion Chase (Brian Lawless/PA)
"This will probably be his last season, I would think, so let's how he runs on Saturday and go from there.
"He has had a couple of down days, but there have been a lot more great days than bad. Even the times he's been beaten at Cheltenham he's been placed in a Champ Chase and a Ryanair - his CV is just fantastic.
"Henry states he retains his interest and if he can get 10 Grade Ones it would be remarkable, but as the old saying he goes he owes us nothing."
Spillane's Tower is a significant non-runner due to unsuitable ground while Gordon Elliott also eliminated 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.
