Henry de Bromhead is confident the lack of a recent run will not harm Envoi Allen’s chances of becoming the third horse to claim back-to-back wins in the Ryanair Chase.

Albertas Run did the double for Jonjo O’Neill in 2010 and 2011, while Allaho struck twice for Willie Mullins in 2021 and 2022.

De Bromhead can take heart from the fact the former was a 10-year-old when successfully defending his title and there is also a link to the latter, who carried the same Cheveley Park Stud colours as Envoi Allen.

Last year, Envoi Allen kept on well to see off Shishkin in this race, which made it three Cheltenham Festival victories following the 2019 Champion Bumper and 12 months later prevailing in what is now known as the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle.

He has only had a couple of outings this term, the most recent a neck second to Gerri Colombe at Down Royal back in mid-November. But De Bromhead has no fears of that proving a negative factor.

“He seems in mighty form, we’re happy with him, so fingers crossed,” said the County Waterford handler.

“I’m not at all worried that he hasn’t run since Down Royal; he’s fit and well, he’s worked well and he runs well fresh.”

Stage Star is another proven Cheltenham performer, galloping on strongly to score in the Turners Novices’ Chase at last year’s Festival and winning for the third time at Prestbury Park when surviving a final-fence blunder in November’s Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The eight-year-old blotted his copybook when pulled up here on New Year’s Day but Paul Nicholls is happy to write that off as simply a blip on what was bottomless ground.

“If he hadn’t run last time, I’d say he’d probably be favourite for the Ryanair,” said the Ditcheat handler. “We’re very happy he’s back where he is, he needs a bit of nice ground and he likes that New course.

“I just felt it was a long time between the Paddy Power and the Ryanair and sometimes you make the wrong call, but he’s very happy again now.

“If I’d had half an excuse on New Year’s Day not to run, I wouldn’t have, but no harm done, we’re very happy with him now.”

Nicholls will also saddle last year’s third Hitman, who returned to form when runner-up behind Shishkin in the Denman Chase at Newbury.

“Hitman’s form was red-hot last time when he was third to Shishkin,” added the champion trainer. “He’s a different horse to when he was third last year and he will be thereabouts again.”

Protektorat was just half a length behind Hitman in that race last month and faces a different Festival test this term after finishing fifth and third in the past two renewals of the Gold Cup.

“He’s just not hit the Gold Cup markers this year and that’s fine,” commented Dan Skelton.

“We’ve tried in two Gold Cups and finished third getting a lead and fifth turning for home in front. It hasn’t worked and we’ve left no stone unturned there.

“If you look at him in comparison to the other horses in the Ryanair, he’s equal top on ratings and he will stay that trip out really well – why not have a go.”

Conflated was third in last season’s Gold Cup and was disputing second when falling two out a couple of years ago.

He parted company with his jockey late on in two runs behind Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown but Gordon Elliott is not giving up on his charge, who has Grade One wins in the Irish Gold Cup and the Savills Chase on his CV.

Elliott said: “He’s in good form and the Ryanair will suit him. He unseated his jockey on his last couple of runs, but he was running well both days and we’re looking forward to Thursday.”

Stablemate Fil Dor was runner-up in the 2022 Triumph and Elliott showed his faith in the six-year-old when retaining him at Cullentra House for €620,000 at the recent Andy and Gemma Brown dispersal sale.

“He’s a new recruit in the Robcour colours and we’re looking forward to him,” said Robbie Power, racing manager for his new owners.

“He’s had some good runs behind El Fabiolo over two miles – especially at Cork the last day. If stepping up in trip brings improvement, I don’t think he will be too far away.”

Banbridge is unbeaten at Cheltenham after landing the 2022 Martin Pipe contest and an Arkle trial last season.

Joseph O’Brien’s eight-year-old has enjoyed his last two trips to the UK just as much, claiming the Grade One Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree last April and Kempton’s Silviniaco Conti a couple of months ago.

Capodanno is another Irish raider who does not suffer from travel sickness, judged on January’s Cotswold Chase success for Willie Mullins.

Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senior was well held in fourth that day, but did claim the same prize at Prestbury Park 12 months earlier, plus he was a good second to L’Homme Presse in the 2022 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase here.

The Jamie Snowden-trained Ga Law and Richard Hobson’s Fugitif have both secured valuable handicap victories at this venue during the current campaign.

Envoi Allen is poised for an outing at Leopardstown over Christmas following his narrow defeat at Down Royal on Saturday.

Although not fluent at the last it looked like the three-times Cheltenham Festival winner was going to defend his Ladbrokes Champion Chase title as he held an advantage over Gordon Elliott pair of Gerri Colombe and Conflated.

However, Jack Kennedy conjured up an extra effort aboard Gerri Colombe to hunt down Envoi Allen in the dying strides and inflict an agonising defeat on Henry de Bromhead’s nine-year-old.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned gelding could continue campaigning at three miles for the time being with a run in the Savills Chase over the Christmas period a possibility, although a repeat of his Ryanair Chase heroics appears the aim for Cheltenham in the spring.

“I thought he ran a cracker and Rachael (Blackmore) gave him an amazing ride and but for putting down at the last we may have held on,” said De Bromhead.

“It was a much improved run from Gowran and great to see him back like that. I was as happy as you could be without winning.

“He may go for the Savills and ultimately it’s the Ryanair I think.”

Meanwhile, De Bromhead’s 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo could be set for a new challenge having been well held in fourth at Down Royal, with Cross Country and Grand National options entering the equation.

He added: “We might lower our sights with him now but I’ll need to speak with the Maloneys (owners) before firming up plans.

“We are thinking about going down the Cross Country and Grand National route with him.”

A defence of the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal could be next on the agenda for Envoi Allen following an underwhelming reappearance at Gowran Park last month.

A three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, having won the 2019 Champion Bumper, the 2020 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and last season’s Ryanair Chase, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned gelding is clearly a top-class operator, but has become increasingly difficult to predict over the past couple of years.

The nine-year-old made a successful start to last season at Down Royal, one of eight Grade One victories on his CV, but is set to return to Northern Ireland on another recovery mission having been beaten into third behind Easy Game in the PWC Champion Chase a couple of weeks ago.

“He was a bit rusty (at Gowran) and as we know with Envoi, he can occasionally throw in a disappointing run and then he comes back and shows us how good he is,” said Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson.

“He won two Grade Ones last season and you’d very much hope he’ll come on for that last run. It was a bit disappointing, but he’s given us eight Grade One wins and is a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, so he’s been a marvellous horse to own and owes us nothing.

“I think that’s where he’ll probably go next (Down Royal), he seemed to enjoy that last year.”

Another Cheveley Park star with a point to prove this term is Envoi Allen’s stablemate A Plus Tard.

The nine-year-old was a sensational winner of the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup for Henry de Bromhead, but a listless display when bidding for back-to-back victories in last season’s Betfair Chase set the tone for a bitterly disappointing campaign.

He was pulled up again in the Gold Cup in March and while a third-placed finish behind Shishkin in the Aintree Bowl was a small step in the right direction, Thompson admits only time will tell whether he can return to his brilliant best.

He added: “He obviously had some issues last season and it didn’t go according to plan. He’s had some work done on him over the summer, I won’t go into specifics as I won’t be able to be technical about it.

“We’ll have to give him a run and see where he’s at, because although we had excuses in the Gold Cup, where he was impeded, and we had the issue before he was due to run in the Savills Chase and his bloods were wrong after the Betfair Chase, he was a tired horse after he ran at Aintree.

“We need to make sure he’s in good shape when he comes out for his first run and take it from there in terms of what sort of campaign he’ll have. We need to see how he runs first time out.”

Allaho, a dual winner of the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham for Willie Mullins, has been sidelined by injury since a dominant success in the 2022 Punchestown Gold Cup – but appears to be on the comeback trail.

“All is good with him, as far as I’m aware,” said Thompson.

“I can’t give you any recent details because we’re waiting for Willie to give his view on the programme and I haven’t heard any word recently.”