Racing united in grief after death of Festival hero Envoi Allen

Racing fans were united in grief after Envoi Allencollapsed and died after finishing ninth in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The 12-year-old was having the final start of his glittering career in the Cheltenham Festival highlight, with owners Cheveley Park Stud having confirmed he would retire following his run in the blue riband – his eighth appearance in all at the Festival.

Envoi Allen won 10 Grade Ones in total, having started out with Gordon Elliott before moving to Henry de Bromhead, most recently becoming the first horse to win Down Royal’s Champion Chase on three occasions.

Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson said: “We didn’t see it. The vets OK-ed them all (after the race) and Darragh (O’Keeffe, jockey) said he was pricking his ears, then he came up and went over as he was coming out of the chute.

“He had just retired and he’s just gone in a minute or two.

“He’s finished the race, the vets have had a look, he’s walked on and he’s gone down before the chute.”

Envoi Allen had won three times at the Festival, landing the 2019 Champion Bumper, the 2020 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, now known as the Turners, and the 2023 Ryanair Chase, as well as placing on a further three occasions.

Thompson added: “He was such an unbelievable horse.

“This was not the ending we wanted, but unfortunately that is what has happened.

“He’s been wonderful over the years, and this is such a sad way to go.

“He’s gone doing what he loves, he just retired at that moment. It’s a tough one.”

James Given, BHA director of equine health and welfare, explained the pre-race and post-race procedures in such situations.

He said on Racing TV: “All the horses are looked at and passed fit to come down the walkway back into the parade ring, and just as he got to the bottom he had what is almost certainly a very acute cardiovascular collapse.

“It happened very quickly, the vets were immediately with him but he was passing very quickly. Horses who haven’t been racing for a while might be subject to more investigation, but he’d already won a Grade One over three miles this season.

“He had the normal pre-race examination this morning, he had his heart listened to, he was trotted up, his limbs were checked. Everything was normal as you’d expect.

“He was then looked at after the race, it is a cursory to check nothing is going wrong with any of the horses and they are allowed to come down the chute. Sadly events overtook him.

“He will have a post-mortem, that will be conducted tomorrow, he will also have a fatality test to check nothing has been given to him – I’m not suggesting any of Henry’s horses will have been, but we need to make sure there is nothing in his system that shouldn’t be there, though it is highly unlikely.

“There’ll be a fatality review process which happens every time there is a fatality on the racecourse. We will examine what has happened, but I think it is fairly straightforward.

“The post-mortem may confirm something more, but it is an acute cardiovascular collapse, almost certainly.”

The De Bromhead team won the final race of the week, with travelling head girl Zoe Smalley paying an emotional tribute to Envoi Allen.

“It’s devastating. You never want to see it happen to a horse ever, but he was a really special horse,” she said.

“He was amazing and I’m just pleased it was quick, painless, he was in a place that he loved, and, significantly to us, a rainbow popped up just afterwards.”