Gordon Elliott's star bumper horse Malone Road makes is set to make his long awaited debut over timber in the coming months and his connections are hoping then can find another jumps star like their leading light Envoi Allen.
Bought for £325,000 by Cheveley Park Stud after landing an Irish point-to-point in the spring of 2018, the gelding was given to Gordon Elliott and raced twice in bumpers and won both of them in very taking style.
Following the same path as Envoi Allen he was compared to the dual Cheltenham festival winner having looked as good and if not better than him in his two events in the national hunt flat races, he is held in very high regard.
He made his debut at Down Royal and took the event by 7 1/2 lengths and off the back of that went to Punchestown in November 2018 and saw off the smart Mt Leinster for Willie Mullins by 8 1/2 lengths.
Wow - Malone Road looked good on debut at @Downroyal a few weeks ago and he might have looked even better here, trouncing the highly-regarded Mt Leinster in the finale at @punchestownrace for @CoddJJ, @gelliott_racing and @CPStudOfficial: pic.twitter.com/8VWbqGF9jz
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 18, 2018
Since then he has not been seen on a racecourse suffering with injury problems for the last two seasons and it has seen him miss out on some big prizes over both the jumps and the flat.
However, now fit and ready to go again he makes was set to make his first appearance for almost two years in a maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe, but unfortunately he was pulled out.
It is up in the air whether the six year old will stay over hurdles this term or go straight over fences but it will be interesting to see how he will fair on debut as it will be close to 650 days on the track before he races.
(Credit At The Races) Cheveley Park’s managing director, Chris Richardson, said: “He’s had a few issues, but he has already shown he has the ability.
“We’ve given him the time and it will be good to see him back on the racecourse.”