2024 Ryanair Chase Tips
Allaho is definitely a horse that merits respect when it comes to the 2024 Ryanair Chase, with the bookies making the runner the strong favourite to land a victory. While many of the provisional entries are likely to line up in other Cheltenham Festival races, we can be fairly sure that the Willie Mullins-trained charge will be involved here.
After all, Allaho has won this race twice before and is still going strong at the age of ten, with the horse having returned from injury recently after being out for over 500 days. There was a victory at Clonmel followed by a disappointing third-placed finish at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, although we can be confident that Mullins will have the horse raring to go.
Stage Star was pulled up in his last race although the eight-year-old could go well for trainer Paul Nicholls, with a victory coming at Cheltenham in November. That was over two miles and four furlongs, although the runner was more recently pulled up at Prestbury Park and perhaps the horse will want the ground to be on the firmer side.
Envoi Allen was the winner of this race last season and the ten-year-old runs for trainer Henry de Bromhead, with plenty of each-way money likely to come for a horse who has finished third and second in his past two races. Twelve months ago, the runner was able to fend off favourite Shishkin to secure a victory in the Ryanair by nearly three lengths.
2023 Ryanair Chase Betting Tips
Nicky Henderson’s decision to run Shishkin in the Ryanair Chase has caused a major stir, although the bookmakers certainly respect the nine-year-old’s chances of landing a victory. The horse won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2020 and the Arkle Chase in 2021 although a hat-trick bid was thwarted when the horse never hit his stride in 2022.
However, the runner is now lining up in this Grade One encounter over two miles and four furlongs, with a wind surgery operation enabling the horse to produce a high calibre performance in the Betfair Ascot Chase when Shishkin was able to score a sixteen-length win ahead of Pic D’Orhy and Fakir D’oudairies.
Blue Lord comes next in the betting and he has enjoyed three wins this season before finishing second to Gentleman De Mee in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase despite being sent off as the 1/4 favourite. Previously to this, there was a 2/1 victory in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase over two miles and a furlong and the horse also won the Clonmel Oil Chase.
Fury Road and Janidil are trading at backable each-way prices and can’t be opposed based on their efforts this season, although there’s a preference for the latter. There was plenty to like about the horse’s victory in the Red Mills Chase over two miles and four furlongs, with this coming on soft to heavy ground.
2022 Ryanair Chase Tips
Allaho is a tremendous horse and is sure to set a strong gallop when it comes to the 2022 Ryanair Chase. The eight-year-old looks set to be better than ever and he was twelve lengths too good when it came to the 2021 renewal. When you look at the latest Cheltenham antepost odds, you can see that the bookies are already going odds-on about a horse that seems very well suited to this trip.
Allaho has course and distance after winning the 2021 Ryanair Chase, with Rachael Blackmore likely to be on board a horse that kicked twelve lengths clear of Fakir D’oudairies when the race took place. He is likely to be among the biggest Cheltenham Festival 2022 tips considering that there have been some impressive showings this season.
On 23 January, the horse was sent off as strong favourite in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase over two miles, four-and-a-half furlongs. Previously to this, there was another impressive win when scoring in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase and that included beating Envoi Allen.
Can Anyone Beat Allaho in the 2022 Ryanair Chase?
Energumene has been entered in the Ryanair Chase although the Mullins-trained horse is likely to run in the Queen Mother Champion Chase instead. A Plus Tard looks to be the most viable contender to Allaho and the two horses are both owned by the Cheveley Park Stud which means that it could be worth considering a straight forecast bet.
A Plus Tard last ran at Leopardstown Racecourse on 28 December 2021, with the horse sent off as the 8/11 favourite in the Savils Chase although Galvin was able to lower his colours on that occasion. It’s unlikely that jockey Rachael Blackmore will get off Allaho to ride this horse.
Perhaps it could be worth comparing the Cheltenham Festival odds when it comes to Lostintranslation, with the ten-year-old tilted towards this race and there was plenty to like about a strong run in the Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase which is a Grade 2 encounter that took place at Ascot Racecourse.
Min Favourite to Win Ryanair Chase With Some Bookies
Min is a Cheltenham Festival legend and has been lining up in various races for several years, with Rich Ricci’s horse having first appeared in the Supreme Novices Hurdle back in March 2016 when finishing second to Altior and he has continued to run into the frame during subsequent meetings.
Min was second again to Altior two years later when finishing runner-up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, while the horse ran fifth in the same race twelve months down the line before landing his first ever Festival victory in the Ryanair Chase last year.
Min returned to the track recently to win the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase and that was on two miles and four furlongs of heavy ground, so trainer Willie Mullins won’t have any concerns about soft ground for this horse.
Imperial Aura Could Be a Cheltenham Festival Winner
Imperial Aura is a horse that has been impressive the horse
crowds in recent months, with Kim Bailey having a horse that jumps well and clearly has bags of stamina, although it remains to be seen whether he can produce the goods at Cheltenham Racecourse.
The eight-year-old has enjoyed back-to-back wins this season, obliging at Carlisle Racecourse in early November before then landing a triumph in the Chanelle Pharma 1965 Chase at Ascot when beating Itchy Feet and announcing himself as a potential Ryanair winner.
A Plus Tard runs for Henry de Bromhead and the six-year-old delivered in the recent Savills Chase at Leopardstown, with Kemboy, Presenting Percy and Allaho among the horses beaten, while this charge has a strong recent track record and finished third in the Ryanair last year.
We always look forward to the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the 2020 renewal promises to be no different. Despite the fact that this is one of the more recent introductions to the meeting, it has captured the imagination and several top-class horses enter who sometimes fall between the two mile and three mile mark.
Defi Du Seuil is a talented seven-year-old who currently heads the betting market, with the Philip Hobbs-trained charge having scored two recent successes at Cheltenham and Sandown. The victory in the former race was especially eye-catching and reaffirmed that this horse can travel well at this unique racecourse.
Last season, Defi Du Seuil was able to win the competitive JLT Novices’ Chase and oblige as the 3/1 favourite and the form of second-placed Lostintranslation this season would suggest that the former is the one to beat.
With Barry Geraghty likely to be on board, we’re expecting this horse to run a big race providing that the connections are primed for this particular race, although there is sure to be stiff competition.
Owner Rich Ricci has a couple of star names who are entered for the Ryanair, with MIN potentially taking his place in the field and the nine-year-old has a habit of pitching up at the Cheltenham Festival and running an impressive race.
Min’s fifth place at the Champion Chase last year illustrates that two miles could be too sharp for the Willie Mullins-trained charge, while CHACUN POUR SOI has appeared out of nowhere and could yet spring a surprise in this race.
A second placed finish behind A Plus Tard at Leopardstown on 27 December would suggest that Mullins could be very strong when it comes to the Ryanair.
We also have DOUVAN who could make an appearance, with DELTA WORK also an interesting name among the entrants. The Gordon Elliott was favourite for last year’s RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase but could only finish third when being sent off at 15/8.
CYRNAME is another potential entrant although much comes down to whether the Paul Nicholls horse will be sent off to the Gold Cup or alternatively take his place in this race a day earlier.
FOOTPAD, ALTIOR and MONALEE are all star names that could also line up for the Ryanair and it will be interesting to see how the field cuts up as we get nearer to the start of the race.