No Easy Game for Envoi Allen on season start

Envoi Allen could not make a winning start to his season, as Easy Game continued his dominance of the PWC Champion Chase with a third victory in the Grade Two feature at Gowran Park.

Willie Mullins' nine-year-old took the same contest in 2020 and 2022, but was not the favourite as Henry de Bromhead’s reigning Ryanair Chase hero Envoi Allen was making an early return to action.

Easy Game (3-1) made the running under Paul Townend with Mouse Morris’ Gentlemansgame in his slipstream and Envoi Allen tracking in third.

As the two-and-a-half-mile contest unfolded there was no change in that order and Easy Game claimed a length-and-a-half victory from Gentlemansgame, with Envoi Allen some way back in third.

"He’s been an unbelievable horse for us. That’s my 10th win on him now," said Townend.

"The ground was a bit of a worry but when I had a walk around on it I was pleasantly surprised with the way it had taken the rain.

"He just keeps on delivering. We had race fitness and were able to dictate it, but he showed in Listowel a couple of runs ago that he can come from behind too.

"I think the opposition kind of presumes he’s going to make the running now as well. He enjoys jumping and it’s working so we’ll keep doing it."