Heart Wood wins the Ryanair

Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood set to return to action in Down Royal feature

Horse Racing

Mon October 26, 2026 · 5h ago

Ryanair Chase hero Heart Wood is on course to make his seasonal debut this weekend in a race trainer Henry de Bromhead is extra keen to win.

The BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday is the first Grade 1 of the new season in Britain and Ireland and Northern Ireland’s only 'championship' race.

It has been named this year in memory of Envoi Allen, who died at Cheltenham having won the Down Royal showpiece for de Bromhead and owners Cheveley Park three times in the last four years - he was also second in 2023.

De Bromhead said: "Envoi Allen had a fantastic record at the track throughout his career and it's brilliant that the race has been named after him.

"He was a standard-bearer for Cheveley Park, his owners, and it was brilliant he had so much success at the highest level. It's a brilliant race and been won by some great horses through the years.

"We are looking forward to Heart Wood going - at this stage he is an intended runner."

De Bromhead has an outstanding record in the race, but had to settle for second with Sizing Europe in the most famous renewal in 2010, when a certain Kauto Star made a memorable sortie across the Irish Sea.

Saturday's 10 entries also include the Gordon Elliott-trained quartet of Romeo Coolio, Stellar Story, Jacob's Ladder and Croke Park, while Rebecca Curtis is set to give popular nine-year-old Haiti Couleurs a first outing of the campaign.

Affordable Fury (Noel Meade), Banbridge (Joseph O'Brien), Fleur In The Park (Andrew Slattery) and O'Toole (Stuart Crawford) are also engaged.

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