Love Enroi looks live contender at Fairyhouse© Photo Healy Racing
Harry Fry sends stable flag-bearer and Cheltenham Festival heroine Love Envoi into the lion’s den in a bid for Grade One glory at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
The six-year-old puts her unbeaten record on the line in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final.
Love Envoi has won back-to-back Grade Two contests following success in the Jayne Seymour at Sandown and the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
That last success, where she beat 18 rivals, took her run to five unbeaten over hurdles, and Fry hopes she can seal her phenomenal campaign with a top-level success.
Fry said: “It is a Grade One and she comes up and takes on quite a few good horses, although some of them finished behind her at Cheltenham.
“This time we are going there to take them on in their own backyard, so it is no easy task, but she is eating well and seems well in herself at home.
“She has answered every question so far. To have a Cheltenham Festival winner is what we all strive to achieve. That is what we are all in this game for.”
Fry, who won the same race seven years ago with Bitofapuzzle, hopes there will be plenty of cut in the ground for Love Envoi.
Rain is forecast, and Fry added: “We know the task facing her. Cheltenham was a Grade Two and Sunday is a Grade One,” added Fry.
“This was a race we were lucky enough to win in 2015 and it would be great to do it again.
“Grade One is the currency we all like to trade in and hopefully she can run and be competitive and cap what has already been a special season — a win would really be the icing on top.
“Yielding ground will help. They had 11 millimetres of rain early in the week and say they are forecast another 8mm to 10mm on Saturday night, so obviously if they get it, it is another positive.
“Fingers crossed, hopefully that rain materialises and that will suit us nicely indeed.”
