'He's taking on the best horse ever to look through a bridle' - Envoi rivals

Join Racing TV Chase (Grade 2) | 2m3½f | RTV

One day you're the cock of the walk, the next day you're the feather duster.

Envoi Allen was cock of the walk for a long time. Well respected people in the industry compared him to Arkle and Gordon Elliott never shied away from feeling the horse could be the best he'd trained.

Unbeaten in 11 starts for Elliott before being transferred to Henry de Bromhead on the eve of the Cheltenham Festival, Envoi Allen looked a shadow of his former self when falling in the Marsh Novices' Chase before pulling up at Punchestown.

There were excuses for both defeats and perhaps the last-minute stable switch upset his routine.

For all that, there are question marks over Envoi Allen before his seasonal return, but he won't get a better opportunity to regain his cock-of-the-walk status, as the opposition is tame.

There's a tinge of irony in Elliott posing the main threat. He runs recent Limerick winner Vado Forte and rock-solid novice chaser Coko Beach, but both horses would have a mountain to climb to contend with an on-song Envoi Allen.

The most important horse in the race, however, could be Fairyhill Run. She may not be the most likely winner on paper, but if she is ridden positively, as John Ryan usually likes his horses to be, there is a chance she could soften up Envoi Allen.

We know Fairyhill Run is tough and likely to be a good deal better than her showing in the Munster National, but winning this would require a huge improvement in form.

There's no doubt Elliott's duo will be waiting in the wings, ready to pounce if Envoi Allen falters, but even after a nightmare spring, it's hard to side against the short-priced favourite.

Echoes Of Family and You No Me Too Well will be involved in their own race for fifth and are completely out of place in the line-up.

Eddie O'Leary: 'We're taking on a superstar'

Coko Beach poses the main threat on paper to Envoi Allen but Eddie O'Leary, racing manager to owner Gigginstown House Stud, admitted it would be borderline impossible to beat him.

O'Leary believes Envoi Allen is one of the best, if not the best horse, he has ever seen, and expects a cakewalk from the favourite if he's back to anything like his best.

O'Leary said: "Coko Beach is a nice horse but he's taking on the best horse who I feel has ever looked through a bridle.

"We've a nice horse but we're taking on a superstar. If Envoi Allen is over whatever hiccup he had in the spring, he'll be impossible to beat."

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Coko Beach and Vado Forte
Everyone knows what I think of Envoi and he should be a different class to these horses. If he runs anywhere near his best, the best we can hope for is to finish second. Vado Forte is in good form and so is Coko Beach so, if you're not in, you can't win. The trip will be a bit more to Vado Forte's liking as Coko wants further but I'm happy with the two of them.

John Ryan, trainer of Fairyhill Run
I firmly believe that if she's back to her very best, she goes there with a winning chance. She's 9lb wrong with Envoi Allen but he went very wrong last spring. He needs to run to 150-plus to beat our mare and that isn't too simple. We're going there to win.

Saturday previews and analysis:

2.10 Ascot: 'He's very unexposed' – find out who's flying under the radar in handicaps

2.30 Wetherby: D-day for star hurdler Paisley Park with switch to fences under consideration

2.45 Ascot: Editeur may just have the edge in round three between two progressive chasers

2.50 Down Royal: Elliott, Nicholls and De Bromhead on the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase

3.05 Wetherby: The Cyrname conundrum: do you play or lay the Charlie Hall favourite?

3.20 Ascot: can classy Vinndication confirm himself a Graded performer in a handicap?

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