Envoi Allen is seen is one of the bankers of the festival for many punters with it all but being confirmed that he will head for the Grade One Ballymore Novices Hurdle.
However, we believe that although he will definitely head to the Wednesday event at the festival, he has been better throughout his career at two miles and there is a big argument to be made that the Supreme Novices Hurdle would be a better option for the six-year-old.
The Cheveley Park owned gelding is unbeaten on all eight of his starts during his career, winning a point to point and then landing four bumpers on the bounce including the grade One Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham festival.
This season the unbeaten French exploit has had three tries over hurdles starting at Down Royal where he picked up from where he left off seeing off a decent field of novices and jumping to a good standard.
Fairyhouse was next on the agenda, again over two miles and it was his first piece of Grade One action of the season taking on his stablemate Abacadabras and beating him nicely showing a clear turn of pace.
Envoi Allen has proven that he is the best two mile novice hurdler in the sport at the moment but with Gordon Elliott having plenty of stars in that division and the betting suggesting that he will be even better over two and half miles the Ballymore Novices Hurdle has become the race he is heading for.
With that in mind he went to Naas just over Christmas for the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle over an extended trip and he went on to win again but for us not as impressively as he has over two miles.
The six-year-old got to the front and almost idled up the run in and did not really extend away from his rivals and maybe up the Cheltenham hill it could be even harder.
Envoi Allen whatever novice contest he goes in at the festival we believe will win but if we were to choose what race he should be entered in at the festival it would be the Supreme with his pace angle far outweighing his staying talents.
He is due to race once more before the festival at Leopardstown over two mile six furlongs and that will really prove how good he is over that further trip.