INSIDE: DAY THREE CARDS, BETTING, FORM AND TIPS ENVOI READY TO TAKE OFF!
HENRY de Bromhead is confident the lack of a recent run will not harm Envoi Allen’s chances of becoming the third horse to claim back-to-back wins in the Ryanair Chase today.
Albertas Run did the double for Jonjo O’Neill in 2010 and 2011, while Allaho struck twice for Willie Mullins in 2021 and 2022.
De Bromhead can take heart from the fact the former was a 10-year-old when successfully defending his title and there is also a link to the latter, who carried the same Cheveley Park Stud colours as Envoi Allen.
Last year, Envoi Allen kept on well to see off Shishkin in this race, which made it three Cheltenham Festival victories following the 2019 Champion Bumper and then 12 months later prevailing in what is now known as the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle.
He has only had a couple of outings this term, the most recent a neck second to Gerri
Colombe at Down Royal back in mid-November. But De Bromhead has no fears of that proving a negative factor.
“He seems in mighty form, we’re happy with him, so fingers crossed,” said the County Waterford handler.
“I’m not at all worried that he hasn’t run since Down Royal; he’s fit and well, he’s worked well and he runs well fresh.”
Stage Star is another proven Cheltenham performer, galloping on strongly to score in the Turners Novices’ Chase at last year’s Festival and winning for the third time at Prestbury Park when surviving a final-fence blunder in November’s Paddy
CAPTAIN Guinness came out on top in a dramatic renewal of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, in which red-hot favourite El Fabiolo was pulled up.
Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, the nine-year-old was sent off a 17-2 chance, with Willie Mullins’ El Fabiolo starting as the heavily-supported 2-9 market leader in the absence of supposed main rival Jonbon.
However, a jumping error led to Paul Townend’s mount being pulled up, and when the front-running Edwardstone fell at the last - albeit when looking beaten - it was Captain
Power Gold Cup. The eight-yearold blotted his copybook when pulled up here on New Year’s Day but Paul Nicholls is happy to write that off as simply a blip on what was bottomless ground.
“If he hadn’t run last time, I’d say he’d probably be favourite for the Ryanair,” said the Ditcheat handler. “We’re very happy he’s back where he is, he needs a bit of nice ground and he likes that New course.
“I just felt it was a long time between the Paddy Power and the Ryanair and sometimes you make the wrong call. If I’d had half an excuse on New Year’s Day not to run, I wouldn’t have, but we’re very happy with him now.”
Guinness who went on prevail, holding off El Fabiolo’s stablemate Gentleman De Mee in a real battle up the hill.
Mullins said: “I was very concerned that he reached for an early one and then stood back too far at the fence going away from the stands and didn’t get high enough.”
Winning jockey Rachael Blackmore said: “He (Captain Guinness) travelled incredible and jumped really well. It is incredible. So pleased for his owner. He has been knocking on the door.
“It is incredible to win this, just incredible and so happy to do it on this horse. He always runs his race. He is enthusiastic.”
■ SHISHKIN has not been declared for tomorrow’s Boodles Gold Cup at Cheltenham following an unsatisfactory scope.
Trainer Nicky Henderson had already ruled out Jonbon from yesterday’s Champion Chase, among others, after five of his six runners on the first day of the Festival were pulled up.
The form of the stable had been a talking point heading into the biggest week of the season, hot on the heels of his brightest star Constitution Hill working poorly at Kempton and subsequently being pulled out of the Champion Hurdle.