Love Envoi could go to Cheltenham after loss of Lingfield

Ashley Iveson
January 17, 2024 3:19 pm

Warwick another possibility for top-class mare.

Love Envoi could be rerouted to the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday week after freezing temperatures scuppered plans to run at Lingfield on Friday.

Having finished second to Not So Sleepy in the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown on her reappearance, Harry Fry’s star mare was due to take on the boys once more in the GBP 100,000 Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle on day one of Lingfield’s Winter Million Racing Festival.

However, a frozen track forced the abandonment of Friday’s card and while the Lightning Novices’ Chase was rescheduled to be run at the same track on Sunday, Love Envoi’s race was not.

Fry has yet to firm up an alternative target for the Noel Fehily Racing-owned eight-year-old, but raised next weekend’s Grade Two feature in the Cotswolds as a possible option following news earlier in the week that Champion Hurdle hero Constitution Hill will not be lining up.

Options are open for Love Envoi (Zac Goodwin/PA)

“We’re in discussions with Noel Fehily and Dave Crosse and the owners about what we do next, we haven’t decided yet,” said Fry.

“Friday’s race was ideal, but it was not to be, so we’re discussing it among ourselves and deciding on a new plan.

“There’s a mares’ hurdle at Doncaster next weekend over two miles, but I think that’s very unlikely. There is the International (Unibet Hurdle) at Cheltenham and I think we’ll probably be putting an entry in for that, and then there’s a Listed mares’ hurdle at Warwick on February 10.

“We’ll continue to discuss it and work out where we go from here.”