Battleoverdoyen lands Grade 2 feature at Punchestown Battleoverdoyen made it two wins from as many starts over fences when landing the odds in the Liam & Valerie Brennan Memorial Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown. Trained by Gordon Elliott for Gigginstown, the Grade 1-winning novice hurdler made an impressive start over fences at Galway last month and was all the rage here being sent off the 2/5 favourite. All three fences in the back straight were omitted due to the low lying sun in this extended 2m6f Grade 2 event, and Davy Russell had to stoke up the imposing son of Doyen to challenge Any Second Now early in the straight. The hot-pot was driven out to come clear on the run-in and had five lengths to spare over the Kim Muir winner at the line. Ex Patriot kept on at one pace to finish a further three and a quarter lengths back in third. Elliott said, “He’s a nice horse and I think he wants three miles. The second is a 150 rated Cheltenham Festival winner. “I didn’t get to speak to Davy yet but it looked like he didn’t do a whole lot when he hit the front. “He’s a big chaser and with a horse like him you would prefer to have the fences in (in the back straight). He’s improved in fitness from Galway. “He’s in the Drinmore but I’d say that will come a bit soon and we’ll probably step him up to three miles at Christmas in Leopardstown.” Betfair cut Battleoverdoyen into 8/1 (from 12/1) for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The Longwood trainer also revealed plans for some of his other stable stars. “Samcro will go for the Drinmore and we’ll probably run something else along with him. “Envoi Allen and Andy Dufresne are both in good form after their wins but Malone Road has had another setback and we probably won’t see him this season. “Envoi Allen will go for the Royal Bond and maybe Abacadabras as well. Andy Dufresne will probably go two and a half miles at Navan next month.”
