Envoi Allen To Have CT Scan After Picking Up Injury At Punchestown

The six time Grade One winning superstar Envoi Allen has now gone from 12 unbeaten to falling and being pulled up in his last two runs and his latest outing at Punchestown in the Grade One Champion Novice Chase saw him pick up a potentially nasty injury.

Envoi Allen has been one of the leading jumps horses in the sport over the last two years and having stepped up to go over fences this term, everyone was expecting huge things.

The Cheveley Park stud owned gelding is a dual Cheltenham festival winner having taken the Champion Bumper and Ballymore Novices hurdle in consecutive years and geared his season towards a third straight win at the festival in the Marsh Novices' Chase.

The seven year old has gone from strength to strength in his career landing 12 races in a row in his first 12 events, winning one point to point, four bumpers, four hurdle contests and also extended his winning run last time out in his first Grade One win over fences.

Stepping over the bigger obstacles this season, he was very impressive at Down Royal, jumping his fences superbly and showing his classy travelling ability as he has throughout his career.

He was then stepped up to Grade One company at Fairyhouse in the Drinmore Novice Chase and gave another standout performance to take the event by close to nine lengths.

Next at Punchestown he was looking to make it three from three over fences in a Grade Three event and was giving serious weight away to the rest of the field, but with Asterion Forlonge falling at the first it made for an easier ride round and again he was foot perfect.

With the Gordon Elliott scandal dropping just before the Cheltenham festival he was moved to Henry De Bromhead's yard and has not looked the same horse since that, for whatever reason.

He suffered his first fall of his career at Cheltenham when clipping the top of the fourth fence to the dismay of favourite backers.

Looking to put things right in the Grade One Champion Novice at Punchestown he jumped well below par and was pulled up before the second to last fence.

The seven year old was later examined by the IHRB veterinary officer at the request of the stewards and found to be lame, with his jockey Rachael Blackmore reporting that he hung badly left throughout.

(Credit RACING POST) Henry De Bromhead later said: Envoi Allen was lame on his near hind leg after the race and he's in Fethard [equine hospital]. He's done something to his hind joint. Nothing is showing up in x-rays, so he's going to have a CT scan tomorrow morning.

"I was never really happy watching him during the race. I thought he was jumping well, but he wasn't right. Rachael said he was leaning out the whole way through the race. There's obviously something bothering him and hopefully we can get to the bottom of it."