ENVOI POISED TO SEND OUT ANOTHER MESSAGE
ENVOI ALLEN, unbeaten in his 11 races, can enhance his status as one of the best things to come out of Ireland since Guinness by taking today’s Sky Bet Killiney Novice Chase at Punchestown.
This will be the toughest test for the dual Cheltenham Festival winner as the gelding concedes 11lb to Asterion Forlonge.
But unlike that rival, who took a crashing fall on his latest outing, Envoi Allen has jumped like a gazelle in his two outings over fences this season and I expect him to take this before running in the Marsh Chase at the Festival on March 18.
Nicky Henderson was buzzing about his twotime Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air who returns to action at Haydock next Saturday.
Off the track since suffering an injury at
Newcastle in November 2019, the gelding impressed his trainer in a gallop on Wednesday.
“He had an ‘away day’ and it was an absolutely amazing bit of work,” said Henderson, successful in the Champion Hurdle a record eight times.
“It’s been some journey to get him back, bearing in mind we were even questioning if he would ever be able to race again but he has made fantastic progress.”