WE are all guilty at times of wanting the next big thing to happen so much that we suspend our critical faculties and simply believe.

Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it does not. But it is often best to unsuspend those critical faculties. The believers are out in force where Envoi Allen is concerned, and it is not difficult to see why. The strapping six-year-old is unbeaten in seven races under rules, including the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last year, and is already rated 150 over hurdles.

The critical faculties seem to be in short supply with many, however, regarding his win last Sunday in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle.

The bare facts are that he beat Elixir d’Ainay and Longhouse Poet – promising but apparently no stars yet – by three and a half lengths and the same in a time that was useful rather than sensational. On paper, and on the clock, this did not match Envoi Allen’s defeat of Abacadabras and Darver Star by slimmer margins in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December, and it hardly merited his being clipped further from an already short 7/4 for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

My assessment of the performance has Envoi Allen on 145 here, compared to that 150 at Fairyhouse, with Elixir d’Ainay on 141, Longhouse Poet on 138 and Conflated repeating his previous best of 130 in fourth. While Envoi Allen’s best hurdling effort is at two miles, that was in a strongly-run race on soft ground and he may prove more at home at this two and a half.

If Envoi Allen’s victory was a little “meh”, that was not the case with Cash Back in the novice chase. His from-the-front 12-length success from the useful Zero Ten came in easily the best overall time and finishing splits of three at the course and distance on the day. That puts him onto 149 with me, and it would be no surprise were that to prove conservative.