Envoi Allen and Hewick turn up the dial and Ballyburn's Arkle dangers emerge - three things we learned this week

Three key takeaways from this week . . .

Envoi Allen and Hewick serve up a thriller

Saturday's main event might have been the Breeders' Cup and City Of Troy's doomed attempt to make history in the Classic, but it was preceded by cracking jumps action in Britain and Ireland.

The race of the day came in the Champion Chase at Down Royal, a Grade 1 thriller which lit the blue touchpaper and brought the season roaring into life.

Two of the game's modern stars, Hewick and Envoi Allen, went at it hammer and tongs, with Henry de Bromhead's stalwart edging out last season's King George hero to secure a ninth top-level win of a brilliant career.

Envoi Allen (right) edges out Hewick in a Down Royal thriller on SaturdayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Hewick's trainer Shark Hanlon rued the "over-watering" of the ground, which he felt stopped his stable star from winning. He also said jockey Jordan Gainford reported Hewick felt the best he ever had, with Cheltenham – and hopefully some good ground – his "big aim".

Kempton could be on the cards for the winner, with De Bromhead flirting with the idea of the King George and settling some "unfinished business".

Oh, and don't forget about Gerri Colombe. He finished a disappointing third, sent off 8-11 favourite, but the run will surely bring him on and he'll likely be a different prospect next time.

This was the weekend the dial was turned up on the jumps season. Strap yourselves in for another glorious ride.
Patrick Madden

Potential dangers to Ballyburn emerge

The Gordon Elliott-trained Firefox made a winning chasing debut at Down Royal on Friday and the success saw his odds for the Arkle shorten. The Bective Stud-owned gelding is now no bigger than 6-1 for the Grade 1 on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Firefox produced an excellent round of jumping at Down Royal and looked value for further than the three-and-a-half-length winning margin. It is a race his stable has targeted in recent years with its better novice chasers.

Multiple Grade 1 winners Samcro, Envoi Allen and Mighty Potter feature among the recent roll of honour, while last season’s Arkle runner-up Found A Fifty took the contest 12 months ago.

Firefox: impressed when making a winning chasing debut at Down Royal on FridayCredit: Patrick McCann

Firefox’s success came four days after Inthepocket shrugged off a 345-day absence to register a comprehensive victory in the 2m beginners' chase at Wexford.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained seven-year-old had been absent since following home the ill-fated Facile Vega on his chasing debut at Navan last November, but showed no signs of ring-rust as he streaked clear to score by 15 lengths, registering a career-best Racing Post Rating of 154.

Firefox and Inthepocket have the potential to take high rank in the two-mile novice chase division. If the Arkle is to be Ballyburn’s target this season, we may now know his main dangers.
Joe Eccles

It can pay to follow red-hot King George form

The form of this year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes received another boost on Saturday when Rebel’s Romance held on to claim a second Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar.

The Charlie Appleby-trained six-year-old finished third at Ascot, five and a half lengths behind the winner Goliath, who did his bit for the form when justifying favouritism in the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris at Longchamp last month.

Splitting Goliath and Rebel’s Romance in second was the subsequent Prix Vermeille and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Bluestocking.

Goliath: had subsequent top-level winners behind when winning the King George at AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker

Looking further down the field, Auguste Rodin (fifth) and Dubai Honour (seventh) finished second in Group 1s on their next start.

The David Menuisier-trained Sunway was the sole three-year-old runner in the King George and, after getting outpaced turning for home, he finished strongly for fourth under James Doyle.

The son of Galiway again showcased strong staying attributes when third in the St Leger at Doncaster next time, before finishing down the field from a wide draw in the Arc on his most recent start.

Sunway is winless since landing the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in October 2023, but he remains open to improvement when his stamina is drawn out and it would be no surprise to see him develop into a Cup horse next season.
Joe Eccles

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'There comes a point when it becomes ridiculous, the horsemen and women have been taken out of the picture' 

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