'We've had this race in mind all season' - Love Envoi primed for Listed success

Saturday: 12.40 Sandown
Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Mares' Hurdle (Listed) | 2m4f | 4yo+ | RTV

Harry Fry has singled out this Listed contest as an ideal stepping stone for Love Envoi to her bigger targets at the spring festivals.

The Cheltenham Festival-winning mare scored on her reappearance at Sandown, taking her record to seven wins from eight starts.

"We've had this race in mind for her all season. It fits in well in the run-up to Cheltenham," Fry said. "She won nicely at the track on her reappearance, and the form of that race has been boosted with the runner-up winning at Leicester last week.

"This is a level-weights race back against mares and she seems to have come out of her reappearance in good form."

Winner of last season's Grade 2 Mares' Novices' Hurdle, Love Envoi is prominent in the market for the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at the festival and her trainer believes she is open to further improvement.

"She thrived on her racing last season and hopefully she can continue to progress as we get nearer to March," Fry added. "It's very much one race at a time, so we hope she can come through Saturday smoothly and then we can look forward to continuing the campaign."

Her chief threat according to the market is Martello Sky, who carries a 4lb penalty after her victory in the race last season.

She has finished runner-up in two starts this campaign and Lucy Wadham is hopeful her stable star can go one better back over her best trip.

Martello Sky: bids to give trainer Lucy Wadham back-to-back victories in the Listed contestCredit: David Davies (Getty Images/Pool)

"It's going to be a bit more difficult this year because she carries that penalty and is about 5lb wrong with the favourite, but she's in great form and we're looking forward to it," Wadham said.

"I think three miles stretched her a bit but she's very versatile regarding trip, although I think two and a half miles is her perfect trip.

"I'm hoping for heavy ground like last year but she's pretty versatile too. She's a lovely horse to have in the yard, we're very lucky."

Fautinette, unbeaten in her three starts over hurdles when trained in France, makes her first start since being pulled up behind Knight Salute in a Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at Aintree in April on her British debut for Venetia Williams.

Williams said: "She got a bit of a fright on her debut for us at Aintree last season. We've given her time off and hopefully she can go back in the right direction in this race."

The five-runner field is completed by Branson Missouri, trained by Shaun Lycett, and the Nick Kent-trained Ballycallan Fame, both of whom have a lot to find at the weights with the principals.

Read more of Saturday's previews:

1.15 Sandown: Gemirande out to sparkle for in-form Williams and Deutsch combination

1.30 Wincanton: 'He seems in great form' - Messire Des Obeaux returns after latest setback

1.50 Sandown: Corrigeen Rock bids to boost Lucinda Russell's Sandown record

2.25 Sandown: 'I couldn't be more pleased with him' - trainers on the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle

3.00 Sandown: Can Evan do it again? Prime Venture bids to repeat £100,000 veterans' final win

3.35 Sandown: 'He's still quite well treated' - who will win this competitive handicap hurdle?

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