The evergreen ten-year-old Envoi Allen proved he could still mix it at Grade 1 level when narrowly denying a brave Hewick to claim his second Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.
Jordan Gainford made his intentions clear from the outset, sending Hewick straight to the head of affairs. Shark Hanlon's stable star looked like a sitting duck for the smooth-travelling Envoi Allen as the duo approached the second last, but to his credit, last year's King George VI hero battled on bravely to give backers of the 3/1 second favourite plenty to think about up the run-in.
There was little to separate them with 50 yards to travel but under an all-action Darragh O'Keeffe, Envoi Allen would stick his neck out to narrowly prevail by half a length. The 8/11 market leader Gerri Colombe, who finished runner-up to Galopin Des Champs in last year's Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, finished a disappointing third.
"That was unbelievable, he's been some horse," O'Keeffe told Racing TV. "To still to be able to do it as a ten-year-old takes a bit of going and he loves this race.
"It's great to get a chance to ride a horse like him. He definitely got close to being headed, but he showed a great attitude. For a horse of his age, he's still got so much class about him."
Paddy Power cut the winner, who was claiming a staggering ninth Grade 1 of his career, to 12/1 (from 50s) for this season's Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
De Bromhead added: "Hewick really battled back, and it was a great race, but I'm so delighted. He's probably not as hardy as he used to be, but he's brilliant.
"Today was a big day and we said we'd see where we'd go, but the King George is sneaking back into my mind. We'll enjoy today first."
