Envoi Allen Bidding For Third Win In Down Royal Feature
Envoi Allen may remain in the twilight of his career at the age of 11, but optimism is high in the Cheveley Park camp that their can bag himself a 3rd success in the BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.
It is 6 and a half years since Envoi Allen broke his Grade One duck in the Champion Bumper, the very first of 3 triumphs at Cheltenham Festival while his overall high-level tally stands at 9.
There have been a couple of bumps in the roadway along the way, but Henry de Bromhead's charge has been near irreproachable in the very first Grade Among the Irish dives season in each of the previous 3 seasons, with victories in 2022 and 2024 sandwiching a neck-long defeat at the hands of Gerri Colombe in 2023.
He has been off the track considering that ending up 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 hunting ground this weekend.
He said: "He's been a great horse, what a journey he's taken us on.
"He's won nine 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 operates on Saturday and go from there.
"He has actually had one or 2 down days, however there have been a lot more good days than bad. Even the times he's been beaten at Cheltenham he's been put in a Champ Chase and a Ryanair - his CV is simply great.
"Henry says he retains his interest and if he can get 10 Grade Ones it would be exceptional, but as the old saying he goes he owes us absolutely nothing."
Spillane's Tower is a significant non-runner due to unsuitable ground while Gordon Elliott also ruled out Stellar Story.
He still saddles the returning Found A Fifty, Galway Plate and PWC Champion Chase winner Western Fold, with the field completed by Noel Meade's Affordale Fury and Keith Watson's rank outsider Flash Collonges.