Local trainer Henry de Bromhead will decide later this week if Envoi Allen will try and record back-to-back victories in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Speaking to Dave Keena, the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, and Gold Cup winning handler says the nine-year-old is "in great form."
De Bromhead says that while he already has his entry, they will see nearer the time whether the reigning Ryanair Chase winner will run depending on how the ground is.
"I wouldn't want to run him on real soft ground again. He struggled in that at Gowran the other day, but he'll come on for the run and we'll decide nearer the time."
The contest is the first Grade 1 race of the national hunt season in Ireland and England - and Down Royal has proved a happy hunting ground for Envoi Allen, with a 100% record of four victories to date at the Northern venue.
The two-day fixture gets underway on the Friday and several top-class performers are likely to start off the season at Down Royal - as Minella Indo, Conflated, Gerri Colombe and Delta Work are among those potentially set to run.
Envoi Allen has won 8 Grade 1 races to date and he accounted for Kemboy and Conflated in last year’s renewal.
