Trainer eyes Diamond double

ENVOI ALLEN and Diamond Turf look likely short-priced winners for Gordon Elliott on tomorrow’s Navan card, which features the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle.

While the Grade 2 looks ultra-competitive, it will be disappointing if Envoi Allen fails to follow-up his recent debut success at Fairyhouse in the listed Future Champions Flat race while Diamond Turf is expected to outstay his rivals in the John Lynch Carpets Maiden Hurdle.

Envoi Allen cost a whopping £400,000 at the Cheltenham Sales in February, on the back of his debut success in a Ballinaboola point-topoint, when trained by Colin Bowe.

Having joined Elliott and carrying the familiar colours of Cheveley Park Stud, Envoi Allen, a four-year-old Muhtathir gelding, made his racecourse debut at Fairyhouse two weeks ago and sent off a red-hot 4/9 favourite, he produced an ultimately impressive display to beat Port Stanley by four lengths.

Ridden then as tomorrow by Jamie Codd, inset, he looked in trouble briefly turning for home, probably due to his inexperience, but, when he hit top gear he stretched clear in great style and clearly has the potential to be a star.

And he should prove the point tomorrow, in a seven-strong field which also includes Joseph O’brien’s promising Galway winner

Earlier, Diamond Turf should open his hurdling account in the two-mile, seven-furlong maiden hurdle.

This French-bred fiveyear-old won his bumper at tomorrow’s venue in January, when coping well with heavy ground and scoring by nine lengths.

It was a case of thirdtime-lucky for the Gigginstown-owned gelding. And expectations were high ahead of his hurdling debut at Down Royal early last month.

But Diamond Turf proved no match for Noel Meade’s First Approach, which went on to finish fourth to Easy Game in the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle in Navan.

Diamond Turf should improve for that debut hurdle effort. He stays well, handles plenty of ease in the ground and should prove too strong for another Gigginstown-owned runner