Elliott – Envoi Allen is ready to go

Trainer Gordon Elliott says his team are more than happy with Envoi Allen as he prepares to run in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

The six-year-old is the overwhelming favourite for next month’s race, with Elliott’s charge unbeaten in eight races.

Envoi Allen was last in action in January, as he beat the likes of Elixir D’ainay, Longhouse Poet and Conflated at Naas.

He also won easily at Down Royal and Fairyhouse earlier in the season, and he is looking to win at Cheltenham for the second year in a row.

Envoi Allen won the Weatherbys Champion Bumper ahead of Thyme Hill and Abacadabras, but he missed his planned prep run at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Elliott says that is no issue though and the team are confident he will shine when the pressure is on next month.

He told Racing Post: ‘Any horse who goes out and wins three Grade 1s must be a very good horse.

If you win, seven out of seven people tend to talk about you.

‘Keith Donoghue rides out Envoi Allen every day, and he couldn’t be happier with him.

‘He’s had three runs over hurdles, and I didn’t think there was anything to gain by running at the Dublin Racing Festival, so we gave it a swerve.

He might run in a schooling hurdle in the next ten days just to give him another spin.

‘He never does any more than what he has to, and I like that about him.

If he worked with a 95-rated horse, not that he would, but he would only do what he has to do.

‘It’s almost certain he will stay in novice company at Cheltenham and run in the Ballymore.’

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