RacingBetter News
	Wednesday 21st April 2021

The Race of the Season?

The national hunt season is now drawing to a close, following the likes of the Cheltenham festival and Grand national having now taken place. This means we now move into the flat season but not until we see the incredible Punchestown festival take place. This provided some stunning entertainment last season, and this year looks no different, with a host of leading horses heading into the races across the festival. Tuesday 27th April is the opening day of the festival and it could also yet produce what is set to be the race of the season. This is due to both Monkfish and Envoi Allen looking set to take each other on, as anticipation continues to build ahead of the race.

The pair are set to take each other on in the Champion Novice Steeplechase with Monkfish heading in as the marginal favourite at present. He is also expected to come in for lots of support in the run up to the race, with punters likely to be getting involved with the Ladbrokes bonus code, who will also be pricing up the race in the coming days. Monkfish is the safe option at this stage, as he enters the race having won all four of his starts this season by an aggregate of just under 25 lengths, that has included three Grade one’s in succession. Monkfish also won at the Cheltenham festival for the second year in a row and is also now amongst the favourites for next year’s Gold Cup at Cheltenham, so can he now further extend his winning run.

Monkfish - what an incredible talent

Nine races
磊 Seven wins
Dual Cheltenham Festival scorer
⭐️ Four-time Grade One hero
✅ Unbeaten over fences

Monkfish tastes success in the G1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase for @WillieMullinsNH & @PTownend #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/Bm8dexEC7g

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 17, 2021

Envoi Allen on the other hand had won his three starts this season going into the Cheltenham festival but did have questions to answer, following moving stables from Gordon Elliott to Henry De Bromhead. He was also making his first start in over two months and was very free to post and keen on the day. Envoi Allen then fell very early on in the race, which also meant his first defeat of his career, having won all of his 11 starts prior. The big question is how will Envoi Allen be after his fall and can he return to his best. If he does, then it sets up for a fascinating race between the pair, as national hunt fans watch on.