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2026 Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase: runner-by-runner guide and tip

Last Updated: Tue 27 Oct 2026

Nic Doggett takes a close look at the seven entries for Saturday's Bet Victor, Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase at Down Royal and shares his verdict.

1 AFFORDALE FURY

Affinisea – No Greater Fury (Choisir)

T: Noel Meade. Best Odds: 9-2.

2023 Albert Bartlett runner-up who has since made up into a fine staying chaser following a lengthy absence due to injury, improving on his reappearance run over two and a half miles when chasing home reigning champion Envoi Allen in this race 12 months ago.

Odds-on and little difficulty in winning a good renewal of the listed Racing TV Club Day Chase from the front on his next start, but took his form to new heights - again employing bold-jumping, front-running tactics - when following up in the Grade One Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas (dual Grand National hero I Am Maximus second, dual Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs in third).

Excuses when quickly pulled up in the Irish Gold Cup when last seen in February, though injury problems again resurfaced when scratched from the Cheltenham Festival in the build-up to the Gold Cup.

Good record fresh and looks a leading contender if those issues are behind him.

2 BANBRIDGE

Doyen – Old Carton Lass (Presenting)

T: Joseph O'Brien. Best Odds: 3-1

Talented chaser who has produced his best performances on flat tracks, most notably when coming from a fair way back to lift the 2024 King George at Kempton, and went within a whisker of repeating the feat last season, beaten only by a nose by a resolute The Jukebox Man.

Solid third in the Ryanair Chase on his next start, before getting as far as the 15th in the Grand National the following month.

Kempton likely to be high on the agenda for this 10-year-old once more, but proved his well-being with a belated Flat debut (won by two lengths) at Gowran last month (watch above), and shouldn't be taken lightly here.

3 CROKE PARK

Walk In The Park – Toledana (Protektor)

T: Gordon Elliott. Best Odds: 50-1

Built on some promise over hurdles when beating the likes of Heart Wood (in the Drinmore) during a very successful novice chase campaign in 2024, but hasn't progressed as expected since, including for the fitting of cheekpieces last spring.

Only eight, so still time to get his career back on track, but no obvious signs of that happening in the near future when beaten 22 lengths behind Gorgeous Tom on his reappearance at Punchestown earlier this month.

4 FLEUR IN THE PARK

Walk In The Park – Fleur D'Ainay (Poliglote)

T: Andrew Slattery. Best Odds: 3-1

No great shakes over hurdles but has taken his form to new heights since going over fences, excelling over the minimum trip to start with before moving up in distance in the spring to very good effect (not much between his Fairyhouse win and Punchestown runner-up effort in terms of ratings, coming from off the pace on each occasion).

Straight back in the groove for his in-form yard when too strong for Blood Destiny in a Grade Two at Gowran Park on his return to action, and shouldn't be taken lightly here having looked to stay this longer trip well enough at Punchestown in the spring.

5 HAITI COLOEURS

Dragon Dancer – Inchala (Argument)

T: Rebecca Curtis. Best Odds: 5-1.

Latecomer to the racecourse proper, but has made fine strides since, progressing through the handicap ranks over fences to end his novice season with victory in the 2025 Irish Grand National.

Quickly put a poor effort in the Betfair Chase behind him when a gutsy winner of the Welsh National at Chepstow last Christmas, and duly backed that up with success in the Grade Two Denman Chase at Newbury.

Pulled up when outclassed in the Gold Cup on his next start, and appeared to be feeling the effects of a long season when 14th of 16 finishers in the Grand National.

Goes well in the mud, so not sure this will be enough of a test, and is yet to really show that he belongs at the very top table (pulled up in two Grade One starts).

6 HEART WOOD

Choeur Du Nord – Miss Nikita (High Chaparral)

T: Henry De Bromhead. Best Odds: 7-4.

Went straight over fences for new connections after being purchased from France, putting his experience to good use when making a winning handicap debut (by 14 lengths) in a Grade Three handicap at Leopardstown in February 2024.

Continued his progression with fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase, going on to follow home – at a distance – Fact To File in that season's Ryanair Chase.

Made a successful return at Punchestown last October, before producing a career-best effort when winning the most recent Ryanair, though his task was made easier by the non-performance of Impaire Et Passe and the erratic jumping of main rival Jonbon.

Well-backed but no answers when only third to Grey Dawning at Aintree on his final start, perhaps feeling the effects of his big effort a month earlier, though also no surprise if he just found things happening a little too quickly.

Step back up in trip is fine, and likely to have been well prepared for this assignment.

7 ROMEO COOLIO

Kayf Tara – Miss Bailly (Kapgarde)

T: Gordon Elliott. Best Odds: 5-1.

Came with a big reputation having fetched £420,000 after winning his point at Belclare, and soon into his stride under Rules, second in the Champion Bumper and third in the Supreme Novices' back there 12 months later.

Always likely to make a better chaser and that's been the case, though was undoubtedly very cannily campaigned last term to pick up three Grade One novice events (between two and two and a half miles) all before the Cheltenham Festival.

Well fancied - racing over the longest trip to date (3m1f) - but produced the only disappointing run of his life when jumping poorly in a first-time hood in the Brown Advisory, pulled up after four out.

Something to prove after that, and this would be a big ask first time out against some battle-hardened rivals. Has the option of the easier Grade Two (for horses that hadn't won a chase before 4th May 2025) over shorter.

Verdict

We know that a truly-run two and a half miles is right up Heart Wood's alley, but even his trainer is unsure whether he will be campaigned around this three-mile trip this season. As a result, the 5-2 about him looks a little on the short side and perhaps swayed by the emotion of a race that remembers his yard's dual winner Envoi Allen.

AFFORDALE FURY has well-being to prove, having not been seen on the track since pulling up in the Irish Gold Cup, but he looks like the likely pace angle here and this strong stayer could prove hard to peg back if his injury troubles are behind him.

Banbridge's recent Flat win suggests he may be ready to rock a little earlier than Christmas, so he rates a bigger danger than the up-and-coming Fleur In The Park.

1 AFFORDALE FURY. 2. HEART WOOD. 3. BANBRIDGE

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