'Wow! Sometimes things go your way' - Harry Fry pleased rain came for Love Envoi

Thursday: Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, Cheltenham

Harry Fry was left counting his lucky stars after Love Envoi confirmed herself one of the grittiest mares in training by maintaining her unbeaten record in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle in the colours of the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate.

The now retired jockey, who runs the syndicate, enjoyed many big days alongside Fry and rode the trainer's most recent festival winner, 2016 Albert Bartlett hero Unowhatimeanharry.

But Thursday belonged to Love Envoi and, like Unowhatimeanharry, she arrived at Cheltenham with a winning run to protect.

Love Envoi was in no mood to let that unbeaten record slip and fought tenaciously under Jonathan Burke from the front end to hold a late surge from 50-1 outsider Ahorsewithnoname.

Full result and replay from the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle

The winning trainer said: "I'm absolutely over the moon. This is what it's all about. The team has done a fantastic job.

"She did everything she possibly could have done wrong at Sandown. We thought about it and how we were going to get her to do things professionally here, and she's done that today.

"We've gone to post early and done everything we possibly could. Jonny has given her a brilliant ride. To have another winner here, and for Noel Fehily and his syndicate, he rode my last winner here – Unowhatimeanharry in 2016."

Fry felt the good weather was going to prolong his festival drought. However, when he saw the rain arriving on Wednesday, he knew his luck was in.

Fry said: "It's funny, Unowhatimeanharry came here off the back of an unbeaten novice-hurdle campaign and she's done the exact same thing. Before she ran, I was telling Noel and Dave Crosse that I wasn't sure if we had a racehorse here.

"You don't mind when they come out and prove you wrong. She's just a real tough and hardy mare. She doesn't know when she's beaten.

"In fairness to Noel and Dave, I thought there was no chance of us running here over the weekend. I was sitting at home on Tuesday watching them break the track record and I thought I better forget about running Love Envoi. But then yesterday [the rain arrived] happened. Wow! Sometimes things go your way."

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