Ballymore analysis: are there are any chinks in Envoi Allen's armour?

Ballymore Novices' Hurdle(Grade 1) | 2m5f | Old course | 4yo+ | Live on ITV/RTV

Plenty revolves around the unbeaten Envoi Allen. If he’s as good as many think, the rest are probably playing for places.

The bandwagon began rolling soon after he made an impressive hurdles debut in November, with ambitious murmurings that last year’s Champion Bumper winner would be aimed at the Champion Hurdle as a novice. Wiser heads have prevailed.

He barely saw a rival on his first two starts this campaign and Willie Mullins’ attempt to pose the budding superstar a different question tactically at Naas last time only served to spur him on, as he happily sat in second before powering past the Mullins spoiler late on.

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So are there any chinks in his armour? His hurdling has been adequate rather than spectacular and you could argue his least impressive performance came when he went all out to win at last year’s festival. That could be clutching at straws though, as he suffered a poor trip through the contest.

There’s no obvious reason why he won’t run his race, with Easywork possibly in the field to ensure his stablemate doesn’t have to do all the donkey work up front, in which case the others will have to up their game.

The two other unbeaten runners – Sporting John and The Big Breakaway – have similar profiles and they’ve arguably been more impressive than Envoi Allen, although at a much lower level. The Big Breakaway’s connections in particular are making all the right noises, but the form leaves a lot to be desired compared to the favourite.

The Big Breakaway: has a fair bit to find with the favouriteCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Mullins is back for more with The Big Getaway, who barely broke sweat when winning his prep by 17 lengths. The trouble is, he was followed home by a ten-race maiden, while he made what may have been a race-costing mistake at the last flight on his previous start. He probably could have done with another run under his belt.

It’s around 16-1 bar the first four in the betting. While the odd outsider has made the frame in recent years, Willoughby Court’s 14-1 success in a substandard running in 2017 was the only double-figure-priced win since 2007.

I confess to having backed one – Mossy Fen – some time ago when it appeared Envoi Allen may go elsewhere. His trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies pulled a rabbit out of the hat when Fundamentalist shocked the unbeaten Inglis Drever in this race in 2004, although realistically the best I’m hoping for is that he nicks a place.
Analysis by Pietro Innocenzi

'Everyone knows how good he is'

Few horses have arrived at this year's festival with a loftier reputation than Envoi Allen, but Gordon Elliott is confident he can live up to the hype in the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

Cheltenham is the ultimate testing ground and Envoi Allen arrives primed for the challenge with a flawless record, having won all seven of his starts under rules, and a point, including the Champion Bumper and two top-level novice hurdles at Fairyhouse and Naas.

Elliott kept followers in a state of suspense last week and added to the excitement around the six-year-old when considering a switch to the Supreme due to testing ground but he has stuck to the original plan and believes we will see the best of Envoi Allen over 2m5f.

"Everybody has seen how good he is," said the trainer, who has been in this position before with 2018 winner Samcro, who was also an unbeaten short-priced favourite for the Grade 1.

"He has won at the highest level over two miles and two miles four furlongs and is still unbeaten. When I walked the track on Sunday I thought the ground was perfect for him to do himself justice over the trip. I couldn't be happier with him and I think he's the one they all have to beat."

Envoi Allen is owned by Cheveley Park Stud, who also got on the scoresheet at the festival with runaway winner A Plus Tard in the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase last season.

"It's exciting to have a horse with his reputation and ability but it's the festival – he's taking on some fantastic horses who are all out to beat him," said managing director Chris Richardson.

"You're always slightly apprehensive when competing at the highest level but fortunately we've been here before with a few runners. The trick is not to take it for granted. We're just hoping he runs well and gets home safe. To be honest it will be a relief when it's over."
Reporting by Jonathan Harding

What they say

Noel Kelly, trainer of Decor Irlandais
Everything has gone according to plan. We’ve had no hiccups with at all. We’re going to hold him up and hopefully come with a late rattle.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Easywork
He's better than you saw at Leopardstown. Things were happening a bit quickly for him over two miles around the inside track at Leopardstown on quick enough ground last time.

Colin Tizzard, trainer of Getaway Fred and The Big Breakaway
The Big Breakaway is a lovely horse but this will be his biggest test yet. The ground will be perfect for him and he's among half a dozen in the field with similar form. He has to step up but hopefully he can produce his best and be competitive. Getaway Fred is an outsider but he has been working really well. He was a bit flat in his last two starts.

Martin Brassil, trainer of Longhouse Poet
He’s very well and I’d like to think he’s got an each-way squeak. The slower the ground the more I’d fancy him.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Mossy Fen
He's done very little wrong for us and won a Grade 2 at Warwick last time. That was the race The New One landed before winning the Ballymore. It's a step up in class in a strong field but he deserves to take his chance.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Son Of Camas
We like him a lot and I'm sure the step up to two and a half miles will help – he's the one of our two-milers I'm sure it will benefit. He's very robust and I think he will handle this sort of ground. He's very strong and didn't run badly in the Tolworth last time although I think he wants two and a half miles on that run.

Philip Hobbs, trainer of Sporting John
He's done everything well up to now and we're hopeful his good form will continue in this, but it's a big step up in class.

Sporting John: taking a big step up in classCredit: Edward Whitaker

Paul Townend, rider of The Big Getaway
He's a horse we like a lot. Obviously, this won’t be easy against the likes of Envoi Allen and Easywork. We were disappointed he got beat the first day. He righted that wrong on his second run over hurdles for us. He's a massive, big-striding horse. It’s hard to say he will beat Envoi Allen, but I would hope he could hit the frame.

Spotlight verdict

Some gorgeous young horses to enjoy in an absorbing opener. One who could end the unbeaten run of Envoi Allen is The Big Breakaway, who has shown star quality in the way he won both his hurdle races and looked to have so much in reserve when drawing clear. Envoi Allen has the big plus of having proved himself on the course but he might have shown a bit more punch in his finishing when upped in trip last time and punters have to take on trust that he was just idling. Sporting John is arguably as natural a hurdler as any and he is also respected but this track will ask a question of the mammoth The Big Getaway.
Emily Weber

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