CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL SUCCESS WITH LOVE ENVOI

Love Envoi lived up to all our expectations with a brilliant victory in the Ryanair Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham on Thursday 17 March.

By extending her unbeaten record over hurdles in the colours of the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate she beat an extremely strong field with something to spare.

Love Envoi pulls fiercely in her races, relishes testing conditions, and won last time at Sandown despite doing plenty of things wrong. We sent her to post early on Thursday and just to be sure my wife Ciara helped keep a lid on her by leading her round at the start.

Love Envoi has a terrific engine, is a really hardy, tough mare who stays well and does not know when she is beaten.

She was given a fine ride by Jonathan Burke who got a beautiful run through, produced her turning for home, eased her across to the stands rails and kept a bit up his sleeve for the closing stages.
Ciara and I were over the moon to see Love Envoi win in tremendous style. Noel has been a great ally over the years and rode Unowhatimeanharry, my last winner at the Festival in 2016. He came to Cheltenham to land the Albert Bartlett on the back of an unbeaten campaign and she has now done the same.

How strange to think that before Love Envoi first ran for us I told Noel and Dave Crosse that I wasn’t sure they had a racehorse on their hands. I’ve never been happier to be proved wrong.

Photo Credit: Steve Cargill