Testing ground conditions could turn Down Royal feature into Gordon Elliott solo show

Circumstances could yet produce a bizarre scenario whereby Gordon Elliott might have every runner in the first Grade One of the National Hunt campaign at Down Royal on Saturday.

Just half a dozen entries are left in the €150,000 Ladbrokes Champion Chase after Tuesday’s latest acceptance stage threw up a scenario of a straightforward head-to-head between Elliott and Henry de Bromhead.

The latter has left in last year’s winner Envoi Allen and the former Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo while Elliott’s quartet are topped by the ante-post favourite Gerri Colombe and Conflated.

Elliott’s Galway Plate winner Ash Tree Meadow also holds an entry in a Grade Two on Saturday although the Co Meath trainer has indicated Delta Work could join his other two hopefuls.

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Notable by his absence is Willie Mullins, who won’t be represented at all. But perhaps the most important element of all will prove to be Storm Ciarán and a forecast of up to 30mm more rainfall for Down Royal. The ground there is already soft and soft to heavy in places.

De Bromhead has indicated he is “leaning towards not going” with Minella Indo who impressed on his recent return to action at Punchestown.

Envoi Allen was a bitter disappointment on his own seasonal bow when third at Gowran on heavy going. Ground conditions could yet prove a big problem for a horse who boasts a perfect four from four record at Down Royal including when previously trained by Elliott.

“He seems in great form, and we’ll see. He’s got his entry. We’ll see nearer the time how the ground is. I wouldn’t want to run him on real soft ground again. I think he struggled on that at Gowran. He’ll come for the run, and we’ll see nearer the time,” de Bromhead reported.

Saturday’s big race has a history of low turnouts. Just a handful of runners have lined up for the last two years although The Storyteller did beat eight rivals in 2020. In contrast, Don Cossack beat only three others when scoring at 2-11 in 2015.

The legendary Kauto Star took on half a dozen opponents when victorious over Sizing Europe in the 2010 renewal of Down Royal’s biggest race of the year.

The Storyteller and Don Cossack are among five previous winners for Elliott who said on Tuesday: “We’ll definitely run two or three in it. It’s a Grade One race and you’ve got to support these races.

“We’ll run Conflated, a Grade One winner last year, Gerri Colombe who did nothing wrong last year, and we’ll probably run maybe Delta Work as well.

“It’s Gerri’s first run of the season, Cheltenham is the plan and we’re planning on maybe two runs before it. This looks the ideal one to start off in.”

Emmett Mullins’ Grade One winner Feronily is among nine entries left in Saturday’s Grade Two chase won last year by Fury Road.

In other news, ground conditions are also an element in a decision facing British champion trainer Paul Nicholls about running last year’s winner Bravemansgame in this Saturday’s Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Nicholls is delaying a final call with Haydock’s Betfair Chase a potential alternative for the reigning King George champion.

“I’m just thinking it’s going to be soft ground on Saturday looking at the weather forecast. I’ve put him [Bravemansgame] and Pic D’Orhy in and they’re both capable of running on that ground.

“They worked together on Saturday and I’m going to make a decision Wednesday evening or Thursday morning when I’ve seen both of them school and both of them work on Wednesday. It’s as simple as that,” he reported.