A £300,000 purchase from the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham February Sale in 2019, the five-year-old recorded a two and a half-length success, defeating stable companion Appreciate It (15/8f), ridden by Patrick Mullins.

Mullins was recording his 10th victory in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and a 66th victory at The Festival in total.

Speaking of the winner, the Closutton maestro, admitted:

“He ran too freely on his first two runs and putting a hood on him has changed him, together with more drastic tactics – just holding him up and holding him up. He is lovely at home but gets a little bit upset in a race, so I think jumping will suit him a lot better. We will probably go for the Champion Bumper at Punchestown and maybe the same for Appreciate It.”

5.30pm Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)

1 Ferny Hollow (Cheveley Park Stud) Willie Mullins 5-11-05 Paul Townend 11/1

2 Appreciate It (Miss M A Masterson) Willie Mullins 6-11-05 Mr Patrick Mullins 15/8f

3 Queens Brook (Noel Moran/Mrs Valerie Moran) Gordon Elliott 5-10-12 Mr Jamie Codd 6/1

23 ran

Distances: 2½, 3¼

The post £300,000 purchase Ferny Hollow wins Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

“He was our best chance of the week and everyone was here to see him,” said Elliott after Envoi Allen (4/7f) beat his stable companion Easywork (12/1) by four and a quarter lengths, with The Big Getaway (9/1) finishing third a further three and three-quarters of a length in arrears.

Elliott added: “I was nervous the whole way through the race. If I had picked the wrong race, I was going to blame him. This was the big one for the week. He is the people’s horse and everyone wanted him to win. He is eight from eight now. I thought Davy had given them too much lead coming down the hill but he knew the horse well – he does what he has to. The horse jumped and stayed.

“He stays, he jumps and was bought to be a three-mile chaser. I think that is what he is going to be, but we will have to discuss next season with his owners. We have a few nice novices, and this one will go to Punchestown.”

Envoi Allen was given a 6/1 quote for next year’s Grade 1 Marsh Novices’ Chase and is quoted at 10/1 for the Grade 1 RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase and the Grade 1 Racing Post Arkle Trophy.

1.30pm Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

1 Envoi Allen (Cheveley Park Stud) Gordon Elliott 6-11-07 Davy Russell 4/7f

2 Easywork (Gigginstown House Stud) Gordon Elliott 6-11-07 Rachael Blackmore 12/1

3 The Big Getaway (Marie Donnelly) Willie Mullins 6-11-07 Paul Townend 9/1

12 ran

Distances: 4¼, 3¾

The post Envoi Allen remains unbeaten as Irish dominate Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.