Envoi Allen (13-2) finally grabbed a third Cheltenham Festival victory as he powered home to win the Ryanair Chase (Registered As The Festival Trophy) on the third day of the 2023 meeting.
Jockey Rachael Blackmore had won the Ryanair in the same Cheveley Park Stud red, white and blue colours for the past two seasons with Willie Mullins' Allaho. And she brought up the hat-trick on board the Henry De Bromhead-trained nine-year-old, who has won a bumper, over hurdles and now fences at the Prestbury Park extravaganza.
It was another emotional success for the De Bromhead stable – who had won earlier in the week with Honeysuckle and Maskada. De Bromhead's 13-year-old son Jack died after a fall while pony racing in September and the trainer had spoken earlier in the week about how the support of all in racing had helped the family during such a tragic time. And they were smiling again as they celebrated a third victory at the Festival so far this week ahead of A Plus Tard – in the same Cheveley Park colours – and his bid for a second Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup victory on Friday's final day.
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Chacun Pour Soi had cut out much of the running, with Envoi Allen always in his slipstream under Blackmore. But they took over coming to the third from home and while Envoi Allen jumped superbly throughout, Nicky Henderson's evens favourite Shiskin crashed through the third from home and was shuffled back just as he making his challenge. But up front Envoi Allen kept galloping and came home for a fine two-and-three-quarter-length success from the fast-finishing Shishkin, with Hitman (22-1) a neck back in third.
Envoi Allen won the Weatherbys Champion Bumper in 2019 and followed up with another success at Ballymore Novices' Hurdle the following year, and on his fifth run at the Cheltenham Festival he also scored over fences. The nine-year-old holds an entry in the Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on April 15 but having raced mostly over this 2m5f trip and won only once over three miles, he may not head take up that engagement on Merseyside.
But connections were just delighted with another victory at Cheltenham.
Trainer De Bromhead said: "It's great for the Thompsons (Cheveley Park Stud) as they are great supporters of ours and the industry. It's just brilliant.
"I kept saying to Richard (Thompson) that he is as good as he was before he went to Kempton, I was so happy with him before the King George, we really fancied him, but like a few of ours who went to England in the first half of the season, he just never showed up. A Plus Tard (Betfair Chase) and Arctic Bresil (Ladbrokes Trophy) just never ran their races. Nothing came to light, A Plus Tard had obvious reasons but not the other two. They were all beaten after four fences. I thought it might have been water and various other bits but anyway we left no stone and whatever we did seems to be working again.
"I was really happy the whole race, but there was a chance he was doing too much. He was jumping so well. Rachael felt early on he might have been doing too much, but then he settled. He's a class horse. Everyone was delighted with him and I was hoping he would put his best foot forward and he did."
On A Plus Tard, De Bromhead added: "You'd have to be a little more confident after that, but they are all individuals. The amount of people, our friends and family who have travelled over, and Michael O'Leary and Ryanair naming the race (Mares' Novices' Hurdle) in honour of Jack (de Bromhead), makes this week very special."
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Blackmore, landing another Grade One success at Cheltenham, said: "He travelled and jumped really well today. I thought early on he was in my hands for quite a while – it just took me a while to settle him - but then he switched off going past the stands and he was lovely then, he was lobbing away and I was able to fill him up three out. He put in a phenomenal performance, but I don't think it's a surprise to anyone – he's a supremely talented horse and it's fantastic that Henry got the day out of him today.
"Ryanair are so kind to name their mares' novices' hurdle after Jack (who tragically died in a pony racing accident), such a kind gesture by them, so it is great to be able to win their race today. I actually got a nice clear passage – I didn't find problems anywhere."
She added: "He was so disappointing the last day – going to Kempton we were really happy with him, and he was equally as good coming here today, so we were hoping the last day, whatever was wrong, he just didn't perform, but we've been really happy with him all season. It's a great team effort down there in Knockeen and it's been a tough year for everyone, but everyone in the yard is a properly good grafter and it's great to be associated with them. A Plus Tard hasn't had the greatest preparation coming into the Gold Cup, but he's in great form and I'm really looking forward to it."
Two other horses in the Ryanair are also entered in the Aintree showpiece with Ga Law finishing fifth and the Gordon Elliott-trianed Fury Road sixth.
Sam Curling's Angels Dawn ensured a clean sweep of the St Patrick's Thursday handicaps went to Ireland when holding off Stumptown to claim the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase by a neck. The eight-year-old unseated her rider when sent off favourite for Punchestown's Grand National Trial last month, but bounced back in style here, travelling with real menace in the hands of Patrick King and showing plenty of guts when challenged by Gavin Cromwell's 7-2 favourite in the closing stages.
Curling said: "That was brilliant – I'm delighted. She was unlucky the last day in Punchestown and she's always promised a lot. We're only a small team and only have about six horses for the track. We have maybe 70 point-to-pointers and mainly buy and sell horses. We sold Marine Nationale, so it was special to see him here earlier in the week. That's our game. This mare jumps well and loves the bit of extra distance and Pat gave her a very cool ride. When the rain came I was very hopeful. If she'd won the last day she would have gone up in the weights, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise. She's in the Irish National, but she probably wouldn't get into that. I hadn't really looked beyond today, to be honest."
