Love Envoi on course for Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown Festival

The seven-year-old is owned by the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates and, having won the mares' novices' hurdle at last year's Cheltenham Festival, found only the mighty Honeysuckle too good on her return to Prestbury Park in last month's Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle.

Punchestown was immediately nominated as the likely next port of call and Fehily reports Love Envoi to be bang on track.

“It’s all systems go for Punchestown, the plan is to go over there and take on the Irish horses,” said Fehily.

“Harry is very happy with her, it was the obvious next race for her. We always said that if she came out of Cheltenham well enough then we would go to Punchestown with her and she seems to have come out of it very well, we’re going to run.

“She keeps on improving, keeps on surprising us. She’s just a very tough, likeable filly. She deserves a Grade One and hopefully we can tick that box.”

Love Envoi will be ridden by Mark Walsh, with Jonathan Burke on the sidelines after breaking his arm in a fall from Sam Brown in the Randox Grand National at Aintree.

Fehily said: “We’re delighted to get Mark on board, it’s very unfortunate for Johnny to be missing about because he’s probably been the making of this mare. She wasn’t easy in her early days and he handled her very well.

“It’s great to have Mark on board, he’s an experienced jockey and he’s ridden Grade One winners for Harry Fry in Punchestown before so hopefully he can ride another one for us.”

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