Champion Bumper: Envoi Allen foils Blue Sari in Bumper showdown

Envoi Allen justified strong market support to win the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and provide leading Flat owners Cheveley Park Stud with a second winner of the Cheltenham Festival.

Trained by Gordon Elliott, he arrived with the best credentials having won a point-to-point and three bumpers already, and he was ridden by Jamie Codd, one of the best amateurs of all time.

Having drifted throughout the day in the market due to Elliott enduring a quiet start to the week, the money came pouring in late on following the earlier victory of stablemate Tiger Roll in the cross-country chase.

Eventually sent off the 2-1 favourite, Codd charted a wide path on the £400,000 purchase to avoid any scrimmaging.

Edging towards the centre of the track travelling well, he suddenly had a fight on his hands as Barry Geraghty emerged on Willie Mullins’ Blue Sari, his main market rival at 7-2.

Envoi Allen stuck on gamely, though, and joined A Plus Tard as a winner for the owners this week, while Codd was also making it two after his victory on Le Breuil in the National Hunt Chase.

Eliott said: "We think he is a nice horse. He is a horse for the future. We are delighted. The four-year-old was getting 8lb.

"I'd imagine that would be it for the year. He is a horse to go hurdling, all being well. He is going to be a three-mile chaser. He is the real thing.

"Mr and Mrs Richardson (of Cheveley Park Stud) have been really good to send me horses. To get a Grade One winner at the Cheltenham Festival is unbelievable.

"We rode him not to be knocked around as he is a horse that likes to get into a rhythm. He was bought to be a three-mile chaser. That's a long way away (next year's Festival), an hour is a long time in this game.

"Two hours I was in the ground and now I've had two winners, it's unbelievable."

Mullins said: "We're happy with that from a four-year-old running in testing conditions.

"We always expected the winner to pull out more, which he did. He's a good staying chaser.

"We had a good run. He could go to Punchestown, but it depends how he comes out of this. We've a nice gap between now and then."