Tag Archive for: Noel Fehily

Punchestown consideration for Love Envoi ‘if she’s bouncing’

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Noel Fehily was delighted with Love Envoi, who produced a career best when going down on her shield to Honeysuckle at the Cheltenham Festival.

A Festival hero for Harry Fry and the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate in 2022, the seven-year-old headed back to Prestbury Park having won eight of her nine career starts and on the back of an emphatic 13-length success at Sandown in January.

Sent off at 11-1 in the hands of Johnny Burke, Love Envoi proved she was well worth her place in a red-hot renewal of the Mares’ Hurdle on the opening day – and having led Honeysuckle along at the head of proceedings, became embroiled in a titanic tussle with the two-time Champion Hurdle heroine in the closing stages.

The pair could not be separated jumping the final flight and although Love Envoi gave way to Henry de Bromhead’s departing superstar in the final 100 yards, Fehily believes his mare only enhanced her reputation in defeat and the result is proof she is still on an upwards curve.

“She ran an absolute blinder,” said the former Festival-winning jockey.

“All she does is improve every run. I think it’s fair to say Tuesday was her best performance to date. I thought Sandown the last day was her best performance before that, so she just seems like she is getting better every time and she never lets us down every time she goes on to a racecourse.”

“We were very happy with her heading into the Festival, her preparation went very well. All the best mares stood their ground and it was a really hot race.

Love Envoi (right) jumps the last neck-and-neck with Honeysuckle (left) in a thrilling Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival
Love Envoi (right) jumps the last neck-and-neck with Honeysuckle (left) in a thrilling Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival (Tim Goode/PA)

“I thought for a second when she landed after the last she might get there, but Honeysuckle was a hard champion to beat and if you are going to get beaten by one I suppose that was the most acceptable one to get beat by.

“It was one of the races of the Festival and to see the two of them come over the last together neck and neck, it was just a fantastic race to be a part of.”

With options limited for mares in the closing months of the season, a trip to Ireland for the Grade One Mares’ Hurdle (April 29) won last year by Marie’s Rock could be on the cards providing she recovers sufficiently from her huge Cheltenham effort.

“It would only be Punchestown really – the mares’ race there,” continued Fehily when pondering Love Envoi’s next move.

“But we will see how she is in a few days. She had a very hard race the other day and we’ll just see how she is. If she’s bouncing we’ll consider Punchestown, if she’s not we’ll put her away for next season.”

Meanwhile, there is no rush to get Tahmuras to Aintree following his disappointing showing in the Supreme’ Novices Hurdle – with novice chasing next term already in the back of connections’ minds.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Tolworth Hurdle winner was a leading fancy for the Festival opener, but struggled to make his presence felt and finished a well-held 10th of the 14 runners.

“He probably under performed a little bit,” added Fehily.

“I’m not sure if he maybe didn’t act on the track, but we probably didn’t see the best of him.

Tahmuras ridden by jockey Harry Cobden on their way to winning the Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown Park
Tahmuras ridden by jockey Harry Cobden on their way to winning the Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown Park (Steven Paston/PA)

“He probably wasn’t good enough either, but I think he is better than what he showed on the day.

“I spoke to Paul Nicholls and he said he would see how he is through the week and if anything comes to light. But he is better than what we saw anyway.”

On future plans, he continued: “He might be done for the year – I’m not sure. We’ll have to see how he comes out of the race before we decide if we go to Aintree or not with him.

“We will be minding him for a novice chase campaign next year, so if he goes to Aintree or not isn’t the be-all and end-all. He’s probably had a busy enough year and we’ll see how he is in the week and then make a plan whether we run again or put him away for next season.”

Fehily looks to ‘unbelievable’ Envoi for further Festival glory

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Noel Fehily is hopeful for another day to remember as Love Envoi and Tahmuras fly the flag for his syndicate at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate enjoyed an unforgettable afternoon last season when Love Envoi landed the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on the Thursday of the meeting.

That success was followed by a second place behind Brandy Love at Fairyhouse and this season the mare stepped up to open company with two impressive wins at Sandown – the latter of which was a 13-length victory in a Listed event.

She will now line up for the Grade One Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, a highly-competitive race that includes former winner Marie’s Rock and Champion Hurdle heroines Epatante and Honeysuckle.

Broadly considered to be one of the races of the meeting, Love Envoi will be supported by a band of syndicate members as she tries to recreate the jubilation of last year.

Love Envoi after a racecourse gallop at Kempton
Love Envoi after a racecourse gallop at Kempton (Zac Goodwin/PA)

“She’s unbelievable, every question we’ve asked her, she’s answered and more,” Fehily said of the mare.

“She just keeps on getting better, I thought her last run at Sandown was probably her best.

“She looks like she’s improving and she’ll need to, it’s an unbelievably tough Mares’ Hurdle but it’s very exciting to be a part of it.”

Of the members of his syndicate, which he runs with fellow former jockey David Crosse, Fehily added: “They’re all very realistic and they’ve joined the syndicate to have a bit of fun and have some winners, but the dream is always to go to the Cheltenham Festival.

“We all know that doesn’t happen very often, to get a winner last season with Love Envoi and go there this season with a real chance, and with a few others, is great and the members are so excited.”

Love Envoi at Sandown earlier in the season
Love Envoi at Sandown earlier in the season (Steven Paston/PA)

The other key hope for the partnership is Tahmuras, a 10-1 chance at present for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Unbeaten this season in three runs over hurdles, including a Listed race and the Grade One Tolworth, Tahmuras has seen his stock rise as the form from the latter race has proved solid with Nemean Lion and Colonel Harry, third and fourth, subsequently finishing first and second in the Grade Two Premier Novices’ Hurdle at Kelso.

Fehily said: “The third and fourth ran well at Kelso the other day and were first and second, the form is working out well. He’s had a great preparation so we’re really looking forward to getting him out.

“He’ll definitely stay, he has that stamina and he’ll probably end up being a three-mile chaser one day. Staying is his thing and he’s got a bit of quality as well, hopefully he can travel early and be coming home well.”

The night before the Cheltenham Festival begins has something of a Christmas Eve atmosphere and that is particularly true for Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates, whose key chances are both on the opening day of the meeting.

Tahmuras at Haydock
Tahmuras at Haydock (Nigel French/PA)

“We’re really looking forward to it, to me Cheltenham is the Olympics of our sport. To have a few horses good enough to go there, hopefully with live chances, it’s pretty exciting for everybody involved,” he said.

“It’s great to see, they’ve all been absolutely buzzing for the last week or so.

“Hopefully they can all have a good day out and the horses will run well. It’s such a tough place to have winners but we’ll certainly be giving it a good go.”

I can’t believe it actually happened – Noel Fehily savours a huge day

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Though he has ridden Queen Mother Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle winners in a stellar career, Noel Fehily has seldom had too many better moments than he had at Sandown on Saturday.

The retired jump jockey’s Midas touch has continued out of the saddle, for his burgeoning ownership venture with Dave Crosse enjoyed a golden afternoon when Tahmuras and Love Envoi gave the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates major victories in the Grade One Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle and Listed mares’ hurdle respectively.

Tahmuras was only the syndicate’s second Grade One runner, with Love Envoi having finished a creditable second over hurdles at Fairyhouse last season.

Yet both won in impressive fashion on a rain-sodden afternoon at the Esher track, leaving Fehily, 47, delighted and stunned in equal measure.

Noel Fehily (right) walks in behind Tahmuras
Noel Fehily (right) walks in behind Tahmuras (PA)

“That was some day!” he said. “It’s been an unbelievable day for us, really.

“It is bit different being a jockey when you are riding. It is very hard to compare the two, but it is a great feeling when you get one across the line and you have 10 owners there. Their expectations are high and when you get the job done, it is a massive feeling.

“It is unreal. It has obviously been in the pipeline since they won their last starts, they were coming here. The build-up was obviously going to be big.

“I woke up this morning thinking it would be great to get one of them to win. That would be a massive day for us, but to get two of them to win – and in the manner in which they did – was just unbelievable, really.”

Tahmuras gave champion trainer Paul Nicholls his fifth success in the Tolworth Hurdle, the last coming 15 years ago with Breedsbreeze.

The six-year-old is now expected to go straight to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, providing his jumping improves.

He clattered through the last two flights of hurdles in the two-mile event and while he had travelled supremely well in the soft ground, jockey Harry Cobden did well to regain momentum to score by two and a half lengths.

Fehily said: “He did improve massively over the summer and grew, and he won nicely first time out this season.

“I think that race he won at Chepstow was quite a nice race. Paul said after the race that he would go to the Tolworth, which was a brilliant dream to have, but I thought he might be flying a bit high. But all he’s done is improve.

“He was much better at Haydock (when winning a Listed novices’ hurdle) and I think he was better again today.

“On that ground, to take the last two out of the ground, and stop the way he did, and then pick up again, it is the sign of a very good horse. Only very good horses can do that.

Love Envoi and Jonathan Burke won with plenty to spare
Love Envoi and Jonathan Burke won with plenty to spare (Steven Paston/PA)

“I think he won today despite the ground. I’m not sure he was actually in love with that ground.

“He is a hell of a good horse.”

That completed the double on the card for the syndicate after Love Envoi took her record to seven wins over hurdles from eight starts for trainer Harry Fry, scoring with consummate ease by 13 lengths

Fehily added: “Harry Fry does a brilliant job training her and knows her inside out. I suppose the pressure was on today.

“The pressure is on every time she runs now, because she has been running up such a sequence of wins.

“She was 100-30 on today and was expected to win, and you kind of fear something will go wrong, but I thought she was brilliant the way she went through the race.

“She is getting more professional as she goes, and she finished off the race strong. She just looks to me like she is improving all the time.

“It is quite possible we will go to Warwick with her. We’ll see how she comes out of the race, but there is every chance she will go there before Cheltenham.”

The magnificent brace on a big Saturday was the perfect advertisement for the business, which offers a 10 per cent share in each horse and allows each of the 10 owners to receive tickets and see the horses run each time.

The Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates have 26 horses in training currently and Fehily added: “We have a lot of nice young horses coming through and they’re the ones we want to have, the likes of the Love Envois and the Tahmuras, who start off in bumpers and progress to hurdlers and chasers in time. Those are the types we are buying.

“But honestly, we could not have had a better day. It is unbelievable. I can’t believe it actually happened. It has been a brilliant day!”

Tahmuras takes top honours in Tolworth for Nicholls and Cobden

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Tahmuras gave Paul Nicholls a fifth Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle in sauntering to an easy success at Sandown.

A stylish winner of a Listed contest at Haydock on his previous run, Harry Cobden’s mount travelled supremely well throughout in the two-mile contest, and was content to allow Colonel Harry to make the running under Gavin Sheehan.

Though clearly green, he loomed large approaching the last two flights as the disappointing favourite Authorised Speed laboured in the soft ground.

Despite walking through the last two hurdles, Cobden quickly got the six-year-old back on an even keel and the 5-2 second-favourite scored in style by two and a half lengths, giving the champion trainer a first win in the race since Breedsbreeze some 15 years ago.

The Evan Williams-trained L’Astroboy stayed on for second, having the tables turned on him by the winner who had been beaten a neck by that rival in a Ffos Las bumper in February last year, while Nemean Lion stuck on for third, a further length behind.

It was also a stellar afternoon for the owners Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates, who had earlier taken the Listed mares’ hurdle with the Harry Fry-trained Love Envoi.

Fehily said: “I was a little bit worried as the ground looked really chewed up and you are never sure how a young horse will handle it, but I loved the way he turned into the straight and Harry was riding him with loads of confidence and he was the last horse to come off the bridle.

“He will be in the Supreme and the Ballymore at the Festival and we will speak to Paul about where he goes, but he looks pretty good and reminds me of Summerville Boy on whom I won the Supreme.

Tahmuras and Harry Cobden proved too good
Tahmuras and Harry Cobden proved too good (Steven Paston/PA)

“He’s a good staying horse with a bit of quality and I would say Hansard isn’t far behind him. Gary (Moore) loves him and he will be stepped up for his next run.

“This is absolutely massive. We put our hands in our pockets to buy these horses myself and David Crosse and we try to find members for them and when they get a great day out like this it is brilliant for everyone and that is very important.”

Nicholls said: “It was good. It took 15 years, but you have got to have the right sort of horses, haven’t you?

“To be fair, we thought he’d go very close. Scott Marshall, who rides him every day, said it would take a good one to beat him and I’ve got a lot of faith in Scott.”

Betfair cut Tahmuras to 10-1 for both the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

Nicholls added: “He has just done nothing but improve and he is like Noland and Al Ferof, who both won the Supreme for us – they are both strong and good stayers with good enough boot for two (miles).

“So I guess we will go to the Supreme with him – we’ll so straight there – but he is the mirror of Noland and Al Ferof.

Harry Cobden returns victorious with Tahmuras
Harry Cobden returns victorious with Tahmuras (PA)

“He is an improving young horse and we will sharpen his jumping on better ground. We are delighted with him.

“It is hard jumping out of that deep ground up that Sandown hill. They all jumped fairly ordinary, but he’s fairly adequate and when we get that better ground in the spring, we will sharpen his jumping up.”

Cobden – bagging this third Grade One in a matter of weeks, after the King George and Challow Hurdle – said: “The only time he ever got beat was in a bumper at Ffos Las, but he’s right up there and cantered all over them today.

“He did struggle for a few strides down the back, but it was very soft back there.

“Paul’s really put his foot on the gas with the horses and this is clearly one of the best (novice) hurdlers in the country.

“I don’t know if he is quite as good as (Challow winner) Hermes Allen yet, but he isn’t far off. I think Hermes Allen would be the best at the moment if you were to put me on the spot to ride one tomorrow. This lad is pretty good.

“You would run him over two and Hermes Allen over two and a half. I’m not sure he would be quite good enough to beat Hermes Allen. They are the sort of horses that surprise you the more you ask the more they give.”

Fehily team lining up dual Sandown assault

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The Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate have a Saturday to savour as both Love Envoi and Tahmuras are aiming to shine at Sandown.

The ownership group is run by Fehily and fellow former rider David Crosse, with both Sandown entrants flying the flag in their silks across the past few seasons.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Tahmuras was a point-to-point winner and then a good bumper horse last year, winning one National Hunt Flat contest and going down by just a neck in another.

He made his hurdles debut at Chepstow in November, contesting a 15-runner maiden and prevailing by eight lengths under Nicholls’ stable jockey Harry Cobden.

Later in the same month he headed to Haydock for the Listed Newton Novices’ Hurdle, and again the six-year-old was a winner when coming home five and a half lengths clear of his nearest rival.

Tahmuras and Harry Cobden
Tahmuras and Harry Cobden (Nigel French/PA)

A step up in class for the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle now awaits on Saturday, with Fehily hopeful the bay can prove up to the task.

“He’s been brilliant this season, he’s won his two hurdle races and was quite impressive at Haydock,” Fehily said.

“It’s a step up in class but we’ve got to see if he’s up to it.”

Sandown is also the target for Harry Fry’s Love Envoi, winner of the Grade Two Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season.

The seven-year-old started her campaign at Sandown in early December, winning a handicap hurdle under a heavy allocation in open company.

Love Envoi winning her seasonal debut
Love Envoi winning her seasonal debut (Steven Paston/PA)

She will contest the Listed Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Mares’ Hurdle at the same track at the weekend, a race intended to pave the way back to the Cheltenham Festival.

“Love Envoi won around Sandown last time, she’s been in good form so we’re looking forward to getting her out again,” Fehily said.

“She was really tough and the second (Playful Saint) has gone out and won under top weight since and that’s always nice to see.

“She’s won around the track twice before, so we’re looking forward to going back there.

“That will be the plan, the Mares’ Hurdle is where we want to go and hopefully Saturday is another stepping stone to getting back there.”

The pair are providing Crosse and Fehily’s syndication venture with a great deal of success in what is a relatively early stage in their partnership.

Love Envoi
Love Envoi (John Walton/PA)

“Myself and David Crosse do it together, we both have the same ambition. We both want horses that are good enough to compete in these sorts of races and luckily we’ve got a few nice ones this season,” Fehily said.

“Cheltenham Festival winners, as I know from when I was riding, are so hard to come by.

“To get one last year was unbelievable and the dream will be to get another one, but we won’t be taking anything for granted because I know how hard they are to get.

“We’ll go back there this year and give it our best, it’s a very hard place to win.”