What Race Will Envoi Allen End Up In At The 2021 Cheltenham Festival?

Envoi Allen has been one of the leading jumps horses in the sport over the last two years and now stepping up to go over fences this term, the question that is on everyone's lips is what race does he enter in at the Cheltenham festival?

This is a question that we will not get an definitive answer to until the festival in March but we can run through the options and make an educated assumption before the season gets underway.

The Arkle, RSA and Marsh Novices' Chase will be the three races he could be entered in for the festival and with all three of them being different in there own way, you have to analyse all the angles.

The Arkle Challenge Trophy always sees a strong field of runners head to post over year for the two mile contest over fences and although this is an option for the Cheveley Park Stud owned runner, it would be a huge surprise to see him take this event on.

Having been bought as a horse to challenge for the Gold Cup in years to come, running him over the minimum trip would be strange for his development.

Although he is not a horse that lacks pace, having won four of his bumpers and two hurdles contests over two miles, he now looks to be a horse with staying prospects.

This was confirmed when upped to 2m4f and 2m5f in his last two hurdle contests which eventually saw him go on to win the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle with a superb staying performance.

He is currently 14/1 to be seen in the Arkle

For many people the RSA seems the next logical option for Envoi Allen when it comes to the 2021Cheltenham festival as the Novice Chase contest over three miles would be the perfect stepping stone for the Gold Cup the season after.

In the Ballymore he showed great staying ability to be able to pass his rivals up the hill and do some of his best work near the back end of the race, which would make the RSA appealing

However, winners of the Ballymore tend to fare best over shorter trips in their future careers, highlighted by past winners of the race like Istabraq, Hardy Eustace, Peddlers Cross, Simonsig, The New One, Faugheen, Yorkhill and Samcro to name a few in recent times.

Envoi Allen is currently 8/1 to contest the RSA and although the stats may be against him it looks as though this race and the Marsh Novices' Chase will be the most likely races he will contest.

Finally, the most favoured race for the unbeaten six year old is the Marsh, being currently 3/1 in the betting for the race having never even jumped a fence.

The Grade One event is over the same distance as the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle with it seeing past winners and performers in that race take it up the season after.

Although he may be able to get three miles and further in the future, Elliott has stated that he wants to keep his horse on the straight and narrow and not do anything that could hinder his career in the future and keeping him at a trip he knows well could be the way forward.

Elliott has been quoted saying: “I’d imagine if you asked me to put my hand on my heart now, his target in Cheltenham; I’d say it’s the Marsh (Novices’ Chase over two miles and five furlongs).”

Wherever the superstar ends up, it will be a scintillating sight to see him jump the bigger obstacles this year with it looking like Down Royal will be his starting point just like last year.