Envoi Allen preserved his unbeaten record and marked himself out as a very exciting novice when victory in the Grade 1 Baroneracing.com Royal Bond Novices’ Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
Davy Russell once again employed front-running tactics aboard the five-year-old, as the son of Muhtathir maintained his position against the running rail, just like he had at Down Royal last month on his hurdling debut.
Whilst his stable companion, and recent Navan Grade 3 winner, Abacadabras, loomed large at the second-last, Envoi Allen picked up answering every question asked by Russell to justify his odds-on starting price and win by a length and a half.
Victory in the €90,000 two-mile contest was a second in Grade 1 company for the former point-to-pointer, who started life winning a 2m4f four-year-old maiden at Ballinaboola for Colin Bowe before joining current connections after being bought for £400,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham February Sale, having won the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March.
"That's a relief, but they are two very good horses. We like Abacadabras a lot, and we think Envoi Allen is the real thing," said Elliott after winning his second Royal Bond.
"The one thing that could beat him is a slow pace, and we had to do all our own donkey work. His jumping was class, apart from the last.
"He could step up in trip, but I'll have to talk to Davy and the owners, and we'll make out mind up. He'll be entered in everything and could run next at Christmas or Naas (Grade One Lawlor's Novice Hurdle)."
