Envoi Allen Bidding For Third Win In Down Royal Feature
Envoi Allen might remain in the golden of his profession 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 since Envoi Allen broke his Grade One duck in the Champion Bumper, the first of three triumphs at Cheltenham Festival while his total top-level tally stands at 9.
There have actually been one or 2 bumps in the road along the method, but Henry de Bromhead's charge has been near faultless in the very first Grade Among the Irish dives 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 since finishing 3rd in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March and Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson is excited to see him return to a pleased searching ground this weekend.
He said: "He's been a fantastic 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 guess, 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 excellent 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 wonderful.
"Henry states he maintains his enthusiasm and if he can get 10 Grade Ones it would be amazing, but as the old saying he goes he owes us absolutely nothing."
Spillane's Tower is a significant non-runner due to inappropriate 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 and Keith Watson's rank outsider Flash Collonges.