Love Envoi became the first British-trained winner of the Grade 2 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle when the former Irish Pointer continued her notable winning run.
The sequence of success began when winning a five-year-old mares’ point-to-point bumper at Wexford, a fixture put on whilst the point-to-point scene here was suspended due to Covid-19, as she made a winning debut for the Sean Doyle stable.
Since joining Harry Fry and running in the colours of Noel Fehily Racing, she has continued the winning vein of form with five victories in Britain culminating in a second Grade 2 victory with her festival success which came as she defeated the 50-1 shot Ahorsewithnoname by a length and a quarter with another length and a half back to Grangee in third.
Winning trainer Harry Fry said: “She just doesn’t know when she’s beaten and she’s had a brilliant campaign, winning five on the bounce. It’s funny, Unowhatimeanharry came here on the back of an unbeaten season and these horses just don’t know what it is to lose a race.
“Johnny [Burke] gave her a lovely ride and turning in you just thought ‘we’re right where we want to be’ and after a good jump at the last we knew she’d stay up the hill.
“It’s brilliant to win it for Noel’s syndicate and Dave Crosse. Looking at the forecast last week I said to the boys that we were losing our heads about the ground, as they had gone Good and they were talking about watering the course.
“We said we’d declare and see where we were, but watching on Tuesday afternoon when they were breaking track records we thought we could forget about running today! Of course, yesterday happened and the rest of course is history.
“We put a lot of thought into her as on the last day she did everything she could wrong and still won and we’re just delighted to see everything come together. We’ll enjoy the next 48 hours and see how she is, but we’ll enjoy this and see what happens.”
Noel Fehily, representing the winning ownership syndicate, said: “It’s unbelievable. It’s a lot more nerve wracking than when you are riding them! When you are on their back you feel as if you are in control, but when you are stood here watching you have no control. Johnny Burke - what a ride he’s given her. She’s an unbelievably tough mare and we are lucky to have her.
“I told Johnny not to be afraid to take his time. I knew a lot of them wouldn’t get up the hill and I knew she would. He was in a perfect pitch the whole way. It was poetry to watch. What a day for the owners too. It’s absolutely brilliant for them. I’m over the moon for them.
“We weren’t committing even to running earlier in the week, but there was a bit of rain forecast and then the heavens opened. Somebody was looking out for us.”
