'We've got our best team ever' - Harry Fry expecting a big season

Harry Fry believes after two years at his base he knows precisely how to get the best out of his string of horses, which is headlined by Cheltenham Festival winner Love Envoi.

The trainer had a tricky spell in his first full campaign from the state-of-the-art facility in Higher Crockermoor, Dorset, but last season enjoyed notable success, capped by Love Envoi winning the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the festival.

She is not back in training after picking up a setback summering with Noel Fehily, but expectations are similarly high for Might I and Metier, while the team of novice chasers and hurdlers has Fry particularly excited for his 11th season as a trainer.

"I know everyone says it, but I do feel we have our best team ever," he said. "We’ve got quality and strength across the board.

"I’m going into my third season from here and we’ve been finding our feet, even though we’ve had a Cheltenham Festival and Grade 1 winners. Towards the end of last year, I really felt we got to grips with how to best use the facilities to get the best out of the horses. We have renewed confidence in the talented group of horses but also how to prepare them."

Fry is not too concerned by Love Envoi's issue and is set to welcome her back in the coming weeks before he hopes to commence a season geared towards Cheltenham.

She lost her unbeaten record to Brandy Love at Fairyhouse but Fry believes she was not at her peak.

He reflected: "We were beaten fair and square by a better mare on the day but she’d had a busy campaign and we knew going over there she probably wasn’t at her absolute best. She was still good enough to finish second in a Grade 1.

Love Envoi: 10-1 for the Mares' Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Mike Hewitt (Getty Images)

"We’ll work back from the Mares’ Hurdle. She picked up a minor injury that’s just held her up for a couple of weeks. It’s a hold-up but it’s not too bad with the weather the way it is."

A plan for Grade 1 winner Metier has not been decided but he could join a talented team in the novice chase division, which includes Dubrovnik Harry, Boothill and Ree Okka.

Might I will not be heading over fences as Fry hopes he can progress into a Graded-level staying hurdler. The £125,000 3m handicap hurdle at Haydock on Betfair Chase day is his first target.

Fry plundered top-level prizes with staying hurdlers Unowhatimeanharry and If The Cap Fits and added: "Might I was runner-up in a Grade 1 last season and faced mission impossible at Sandown in December trying to concede 6lb to Constitution Hill, but, being a half-brother to the National Hunt Chase winner Stattler, we feel he could be progressive stepping up in trip.

"The handicap at Haydock has been used as a springboard for the likes of Paisley Park and Sam Spinner to go into the Graded staying division so it’ll be interesting to see if he can progress into a horse of that calibre."

Hymac, Altobelli and Fairy Gem are among the exciting novice hurdlers, while 89-rated Flat performer High Fibre has recently joined the yard to go juvenile hurdling.

Last summer, Fry decided not to employ a stable jockey but choose from a pool of riders and they include Sean Bowen, Jonathan Burke and Lorcan Murtagh, who has recovered from a broken leg sustained in January. Ben Bromley has also joined the stable as a conditional.

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