KING GEORGE TARGET FOR ENVOI ALLEN
HENRY DE BROMHEAD says Envoi Allen is in “mighty form” ahead of the King George Chase on St Stephen’s Day.
The Waterford trainer is hoping three miles around Kempton will be perfect for the horse once hailed a superstar.
The dual Cheltenham Festival winner and three-time Grade One victor was third in last season’s Champion Chase after seeming to lose his way.
But he bounced back to form when put over three miles at Down Royal earlier this month in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase.
De Bromhead said: “He ran well in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but, obviously, I got the trip completely wrong.
“It might be a blessing in disguise, as he’s in mighty form now and was really good the other day.
Sharpen
“We plan to go to the King George, then we’ll see after that — that’s the main aim.
“We can sharpen his jumping up a little bit. We’re so used to him being so extravagant. Maybe over three miles, going that stride slower, he’s not as exuberant.
“The way his wind is, he needs nice-ish ground — I’d be more concerned if it came up very soft.
“I loved the way he ran through the line at Down Royal and travels really well. Unlike with Minella Indo last year going to Kempton, where I thought, ‘I have to force this’, I presume this guy will just travel away in behind them. Hopefully, it will suit him.”
De Bromhead also had an update on Minella Indo, winner of the Gold Cup in 2021.
“The plan at the moment is to go to Tramore on New Year’s Day and we’ll see then after that,” he said. “He’s in great form and worked well the other day.”
De Bromhead remains hopeful Bob Olinger’s “savage engine” remains fully intact ahead of a planned outing at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.
The seven-year-old looked a superstar in the making when sprinting up the Cheltenham hill to win the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham two years ago but has struggled to rediscover that brilliance.
Fortunate
He won his first three starts over fences last term but was fortunate to double his Festival tally in the Turners’ Novices’ Chase after the dramatic final-fence exit of Galopin Des Champs, and he was pulled up on his final start of last season at Punchestown.
Bob Olinger reverted to the smaller obstacles on his reappearance in Navan’s Lismullen Hurdle earlier in the month and looked back to his best when travelling to the front, but he was reeled in by surprise winner Home By The Lee on the run-in.
Reflecting on that performance, De Bromhead acknowledged: “I was disappointed, and that was probably unfair on the winner.”
And he added: “I think he just outstayed us.”