Envoi Allen v Monkfish: key views on the brilliant Punchestown clash

6.30 Punchestown
Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase (Grade 1) | 3m½f | 5yo+ | RTE2/RTV

This is no ordinary novice chase; this is extraordinary stuff. We get a sneak peek of what next season's Cheltenham Gold Cup might look like 11 months ahead of plan as Envoi Allen and Monkfish go head to head in what promises to be the showdown of the season.

They have raced a total of 21 times and have 18 wins between them. Monkfish has already won four Grade 1s, Envoi Allen has five. The official handicapper thinks there is 1lb between them at present with the Henry de Bromhead-trained seven-year-old marginally better in his book.

Monkfish is 4-1 favourite for next year's Gold Cup, though, and he got the job done at Cheltenham. It might not have been pretty at times, but he accomplished what Envoi Allen did not. He departed at the fourth in the Marsh Novices' Chase when 4-9.

Let's start with Monkfish. He has won his last seven starts and, while everything wasn't as effortless as usual in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, the winning time of 6min 11.08sec suggests there was more substance to the performance than we initially thought.

Initially we presumed Monkfish might just be a mudlark with endless stamina, but now we know he is much more than that.

It was yielding ground when he disposed of Latest Exhibition so impressively at Leopardstown over Christmas and his best display over hurdles at Thurles was on similar ground too. Conditions should be fine.

You know what Paul Townend is going to do too. He will bounce out and try to dictate everything. It is hard to envisage Envoi Allen taking him on over this trip, while his two stablemates are not going to annoy him.

Stellar book of Punchestown rides gives Townend title-race edge

That leaves Townend with a teaser. Does he take his time or turn it into a test to challenge Envoi Allen's stamina? My guess is the latter so don't expect him to be hanging about.

Envoi Allen was like a shaken can of fizzy pop waiting to explode at Cheltenham. He never relaxed and guessed at the fourth. He paid the price and came down. He had never guessed before and he might never again. Perhaps it was the lesson he needed to learn.

Rachael Blackmore takes over from Jack Kennedy on what will be his second start for De Bromhead. His trainer reports his work to have been very good last week and, if he hadn't done what he did at Cheltenham he would most likely be an odds-on favourite here.

If he relaxes and gets into a good rhythm tracking Monkfish, what a mouthwatering tussle lies in wait up the home straight. He certainly has more speed than his big rival, and ground is of no concern, so this will tell us where we stand with Envoi Allen.

Envoi Allen: had gone 11 races unbeaten until his shock fall at CheltenhamCredit: Patrick McCann

Colreevy has been a revelation since sent over fences. Just like Monkfish she is four from four and Willie Mullins was rewarded for not taking the easy option of a Grade 2 on home soil the week before Cheltenham when she showed a tenacious attitude to hold off stablemate Elimay in the Mares' Chase.

She jumped to her right throughout there so going this way around looks sure to suit. She would prefer slower ground and this is the toughest test she has ever faced, but she certainly deserves her slot in the line-up.

In fact, given she is rated 158 and gets 7lb from the geldings, theoretically she comes out on top. This will be her last outing as she is in foal to Walk In The Park and what a superb mare she has been this season. Victory here would be the icing on the cake but, despite what ratings tell you, she could be outclassed.

Franco De Port will be out to do what Franco De Port does best and that is picking up pieces late in the day. If Envoi Allen or Monkfish misfire, he will be swooping late. If they do, he does not look good enough to get competitive.

'Monkfish has learned a lot from Cheltenham win' – Townend

Paul Townend thinks Monkfish has learned a lot from his Brown Advisory Novices' Chase success at Cheltenham, a performance that was workmanlike rather than wonderful.

The champion jockey has recovered from a foot injury in time to take the ride on the unbeaten chaser and he believes you will see a different Monkfish to the one who fended off Fiddlerontheroof at the festival last month.

Speaking in his Ladbrokes blog, Townend said: "They are possibly the two most exciting horses in racing. Monkfish didn't show his best at Cheltenham but he still won. I think he might have learned a lot from that. He is back at home now.

Paul Townend: 'I retain all the faith in Monkfish and hopefully we will come out on top'Credit: Patrick McCann

"The De Bromhead team has now had more time with Envoi Allen and got used to him and his ways. That will be a help for them but he is coming off the back of a fall, which is not ideal.

"It will be Rachael Blackmore's first spin on him on a racecourse. I'm sure she has ridden him a lot at home. I retain all the faith in Monkfish and hopefully we will come out on top."

Like Townend, Mullins admitted Monkfish wasn't at his best at Cheltenham. The trainer said: "He wasn't as impressive as he can be last month but hopefully he will get back to his fluent jumping and galloping style here."

'It's going to be fascinating' – De Bromhead

Henry de Bromhead had Envoi Allen for only a fortnight before he went off 4-9 favourite for the Marsh Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.

He blotted an otherwise squeaky clean copybook by falling at the fourth fence there, but the trainer reports the 2020 Ballymore winner to be in rude health ahead of his showdown with Monkfish.

De Bromhead said: "He seems to be in great order and worked really well last week. I've been delighted with him. It's going to be fascinating to see him running over three miles for the first time and that will tell us a lot with regard to next year and what sort of route we might take for that campaign."

Henry de Bromhead: the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National winning trainer of Envoi Allen is excited for the Punchestown showdownCredit: Edward Whitaker

Envoi Allen has never tackled this trip before, but his best work in the Ballymore was at the end and that was a strongly run two-mile five-furlong contest. He is no bigger than 8-1 for the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Franco De Port and Colreevy
Franco De Port has a lot to find on form but we are going up in trip here to see how he copes. He is settling better as he gets older and we think he will be a staying chaser going forward. Colreevy comes out ahead on ratings in this fascinating contest. The trip will suit but the drying ground won't. She is in foal to Walk In The Park and hopefully she will give a good account on what will be her last run.

Read more on day one at Punchestown:

4.15 Punchestown: Paul Townend puts faith in Blue Lord for Grade 1 clash with Echoes In Rain

4.50 Punchestown: Willie Mullins takes aim with seven of the 25 runners in €50,000 handicap hurdle

5.25 Punchestown: Willie Mullins hopes two-mile experiment can make a champion of Allaho

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