A small but stellar field for Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal as Gerri Colombe faces three rivals on return

Gerri Colombe: will be aimed at the Gold Cup in the spring

Gerri Colombe: faces Conflated, Minella Indo and Envoi Allen at Down RoyalCredit: John Grossick

A high-class quartet will go to post in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase (2.20) at Down Royal on Saturday with trainers Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead declaring some of their big guns for the Grade 1 contest.

Conflated, Envoi Allen, Gerri Colombe and Minella Indo have amassed an incredible 16 Grade 1 victories between them, including five Cheltenham Festival victories.

Jack Kennedy will partner Gerri Colombe, who will have to face three race-fit quality rivals on his first outing since bolting up in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree in April.

He agonisingly missed out on his own Cheltenham Festival victory when just failing to get up in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase with The Real Whacker managing to repel his challenge in the final strides. Such was the promise of his novice campaign, he is currently 6-1 second favourite for the Gold Cup in March and Down Royal will be the first step towards that assignment.

Elliott is also set to run Conflated, who enjoyed a tremendous campaign last season which saw him finish third in this contest before going on to win the Savills Chase and finish third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Sam Ewing will be in the plate.

Rachael Blackmore will take the ride on eight-time Grade 1 winner Envoi Allen for De Bromhead. He will step back up to three miles after finishing third behind Easy Game on his return at Gowran Park over 2m4f in September. The heavy ground was not to his liking that day and he will be looking to follow up his success in this race 12 months ago when he defeated Kemboy.

Minella Indo: returned for the new season in convincing fashion

Minella Indo: 2021 Gold Cup winner won at Punchestown on his reappearanceCredit: Patrick McCann

De Bromhead also saddles Minella Indo, who made a perfect return to action last month when jumping superbly en route to a comfortable success in Grade 3 company at Punchestown, where Conflated was last of the five runners. The 2021 Gold Cup winner has been lightly raced in recent times and may still have plenty left to give judged on that victory. Darragh O'Keeffe will partner him for the first time.