All eyes on Envoi following transfer
Irish superstar Envoi Allen will let his talent speak for itself when he tackles the Festival next week.
The brilliant sevenyear-old is odds-on to maintain his unblemished record and win the Marsh Novices’ Chase to rack up a 12th straight success in a burgeoning young jumping career.
Envoi Allen is gunning for the Festival hat-trick, having landed the Bumper and the Ballymore in the last two years, and the trainer and his owners Cheveley Park Stud already have eyes on 2022 and the biggest race of the lot – The Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Transferred out of disgraced trainer Gordon Elliott’s yard last week, new handler Henry De Bromhead told racingpost. com: “Of course you feel a bit [of extra pressure], but you’re just trying to do it as best you can and get them there as best you can.
“It’s obviously not the circumstances you like to get horses but these are the types everyone’s trying to get.”
Envoi Allen will no doubt face his toughest test to date next week but if he wins glasses will still be raised throughout Britain and Ireland as this is a horse with a massive following and is one of the bankers of the meeting.
The arrival of Cheveley Park horses Envoi Allen, Ballyadam and Quilixios bolster an already strong festival squad for De Bromhead.
Denise Foster is running the Gordon Elliott yard while the trainer serves a six-month suspension for bringing racing into disrepute.
HENRY DE BROMHEAD reckons Gold Cup hopefuls A Plus Tard and Minella Indo can destroy Al Boum Photo’s hat-trick bid.
The Waterford handler sends two live chances to Friday’s Blue Riband event.
Willie Mullins’ back-toback winner sets a high standard as 3/1 market leader but countryman De Bromhead has high hopes for his pair.
A Plus Tard, a 7/1 chance, has a Festival win and place in the bag, while 16/1-rated Minello Indo was just touched off by Champ in last year’s RSA.
De Bromhead said: “I’m probably biased but the Savills Chase looked to be one of the strongest Gold Cup trials, if not the strongest, all season.
“A Plus Tard seemed to do it very well and the form got franked by Kemboy in the Irish Gold Cup.
“We have purposefully kept this fella fresh for the Gold Cup and we are very happy with him.
“I know A Plus Tard is shorter than Minella Indo in the betting but we also know Minella Indo comes alive around Cheltenham.
“The main objective was getting a clear round at Leopardstown the last day after falling in the Savills Chase and I was very happy with him bar the second-last.
“Kemboy got an easy lead and Minella Indo ran pretty well in the circumstances given it was effectively his first race in open company.
“I think we will see a different horse in the Gold Cup and I’m very happy with him.
“If you look at his beginners chase before Cheltenham last year, he wasn’t that impressive but he has a habit of raising his game for the Festival.”