ALLEN A DAY’S WORK

Envoi has the class the take today’s Durkan Chase cracker

ENVOI ALLEN can continue his return to form in today’s John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.

The seven-year-old, whose exploits in bumpers and over hurdles made him the most exciting jumper around, ended last season with questions to answer.

He fell at Cheltenham and then ran no race at the Punchestown Festival the following months.

However, his comeback at Down Royal just over a month ago was encouraging as he looked much more like the Envoi Allen of old.

Admittedly he faced an easy enough task against some lower class rivals but he couldn’t have been any more impressive.

Today’s race represents his stiffest test to date over fences but it is worth taking the chance that he can deal with Allaho.

That rival produced a devastating effort to run riot in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March.

He was then dropped back to two miles to take on Chacun Pour Soi on his final start of the season and ran a very respectable second over a trip short of his best.

If Allaho were to turn up in the same form as at Cheltenham Envoi Allen would have a huge fight on his hands.

Elsewhere on the card Choice Of Words is taken to land the Listed mares novice hurdle for Martin Brassil.

This mare ran very well in a Grade 3 bumper last April and she confirmed that promise when bolting up in a maiden hurdle at Galway in October.

The card begins with a top clash in the rated novice hurdle where Crowns Major takes on Top Bandit.

Crowns Major is marginally preferred as he looks to build on his successful hurdling debut at Cork several weeks ago.

In the beginner’s chase the 2020 Cheltenham bumper winner Ferny Hollow is put forward to make a winning return. His long absence is never a concern with runners from the Willie Mullins yard.