Envoi Allen emerged victorious again at Down Royal after a pulsating battle with Hewick in the closing stages of the Ladbrokes Champion Chase. Gerri Colombe went to post 8/11 favourite in the first Grade 1 of the season but was being niggled along after the fourth last and came under pressure going to the next.
Front-runner Hewick was also asked for an effort before the third from home and it was Envoi Allen who loomed large behind going to the penultimate fence.
Darragh O'Keeffe asked his mount to jump up and challenge over the second last and he started to edge ahead down to the final fence.
Hewick is nothing if not game however and made the Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding pull out all the stops on the run-in to secure a hard-fought half-length win at odds of 3/1.
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