Envoi Allen Bidding For Third Win In Down Royal Feature

Envoi Allen may be 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 success in the BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.


It is six and a half years considering that Envoi Allen broke his Grade One duck in the Champion Bumper, the first of 3 victories at Cheltenham Festival while his total top-level tally stands at 9.


There have actually been a couple of bumps in the roadway along the way, however Henry de Bromhead's charge has been near faultless in the first Grade One of the Irish jumps season in each of the past three seasons, with success in 2022 and 2024 sandwiching a neck-long defeat at the hands of in 2023.


He has actually 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 delighted searching ground this weekend.


He stated: "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 works on Saturday and go from there.


"He has had a couple of down days, but there have actually been a lot more excellent days than bad. Even the times he's been beaten at Cheltenham he's been placed in a Champion Chase and a Ryanair - his CV is just fantastic.


"Henry states he maintains his enthusiasm and if he can get 10 Grade Ones it would be impressive, but as the old saying he goes he owes us absolutely nothing."


Spillane's Tower is a noteworthy non-runner due to unsuitable ground while Gordon Elliott also dismissed 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.