Colreevy tears up script in Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown
Colreevy brought her racing career to a close with a flourish at Punchestown on Tuesday evening, making all the running to win the Champion Novice Chase and confound the pre-race billing of a decisive head-to-head between Monkfish and Envoi Allen, the toprated novices in Ireland this season.
Colreevy set off at 7-1 in a fourrunner field but was soon settled in the lead by Danny Mullins and produced a series of excellent jumps to end Monkfish’s unbeaten record over fences by eight lengths. A mistake three out left Paul Townend and Monkfish struggling to close the gap, while Envoi Allen, a faller when odds-on for the Marsh Novice Chase at Cheltenham last month, was beaten when Rachael Blackmore pulled him up before jumping the second-last.
Colreevy, who was getting a 7lb mares’ allowance, has been covered by the stallion Walk In The Park and will now retire to the paddocks. Monkfish, the 4-1 favourite for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup beforehand, is out to 8-1, while Envoi Allen is 20-1 (from around 7-1) for the Festival’s showpiece.
“On ratings [and with the allowance] she was the best-rated,” Willie
Mullins, the trainer of both Monkfish and Colreevy, said. “I think obviously Envoi Allen is not right and Monkfish probably didn’t run his true race, and she did.”
Townend was an easy winner of his first head-to-head with Blackmore earlier on the card as Chacun Pour Soi, the beaten odds-on favourite in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, powered clear of Allaho from the home turn in the William Hill Champion Chase.
Allaho, a frontrunning winner of the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, struggled to match the speed and fluency of Chacun Pour Soi’s jumping from an early stage. A mistake three out as Townend extended his lead on Chacun Pour Soi left the 6-5 favourite with what proved to be a decisive advantage.
“That was a proper performance, the real Chacun,” Townend said. “We were all disappointed at Cheltenham, the horse didn’t fire there, but there was no hiding place today and he jumped for fun.”