ENVOI SENDS BIG MESSAGE

ENVOI ALLEN defied years for a record third victory that brought the house down in the BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal.

- BY DAVID YATES

It was back in March 2019 that the onetime poster boy of National Hunt racing gained his first Grade | triumph in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Now 11, Envoi Allen took his top-level tally into double figures when adding to his successes of 2022 and 12 months ago in the three-mile test - he was beaten a neck by Gerri Colombe in the 2023 running ~ with a three-and-three-quarter length beating of the seven-year-old Affordable Fury.

Trainer Henry de Bromhead said: “What a horse, what can you say? He’s just class, just a legend = and it was lovely to see the crowd appreciate him.

“They've got a great crowd here today.”