Ryanair Chase 2023: Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Tips & Preview

The Grade 1 Ryanair Chase is no doubt one of the biggest races of the week at the Cheltenham Festival which takes place on the third day of the four-day meeting.

It is a race that has produced some of the best performances of the week in seasons gone by, with the likes of Vautour, Cue Card and even Our Vic just a small sample of names to have taken the spoils in great style.

Ryanair Chase 2023 Preview

Willie Mullins has a phenomenal record in this race having won five of the last seven renewals, so it is no surprise to see Allaho a warm favourite in the ante-post market at a general (15/8) for the Ryanair Chase, whose dominance from the front in the last two renewals of this have been of the highest-quality.

He has defeated top-class horses by a combined 26 lengths - an achievement worthy of recognition to say the least. The only assumption I came to as to why he isn’t a shorter-price than he is, is due to not being seen since winning the Punchestown Gold Cup in April, where he stepped up three miles for the first time over fences.

He won that race by 14 lengths, beating a stellar field that included dual King George winner Clan Des Obeaux and former two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Al Boum Photo. Not only did he beat those high-class rivals but in behind was another former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, former King George winner Tornado Flyer and other Grade 1 winners in the shape of Fakir D’Oudairies and Kemboy.

If anything, given the numbers he recorded, that was probably a near career-best performance aside from his two wins in this race at the Festival. Conversely, his preparation this time around hasn’t been as smooth as in the previous two seasons, given he has reportedly suffered a couple of minor setbacks which has delayed his preparation and the reason why we haven’t seen him out so far this term.

Even if he goes straight to Cheltenham with no prep-run, he still remains the one to beat despite his first-time-out being far from bombproof. When looking through the ante-post market, it is difficult finding a horse to take him on with and some will see his initial odds as really good value, especially after hearing Willie Mullins say that he will have no trouble in making the Festival as he bids to become the first horse to win this race three times.

Nothing has been able to give him a race in this in both his victories but surely if there is a time it will happen, it will be this year. Even so, this middle distance really does bring out the best in the defending champion, as any horse who has tried to lay up with him has soon met their match and cried enough. Regardless of his preparation, he is a worthy favourite.

Although he has the option of the Champion Chase, which I think would suit him better, firms have stablemate Blue Lord installed at the second-favourite at (6/1). He has won six of his eight chase starts, with his only defeat coming in last year’s Arkle when third.

He beat Tornado Flyer in the Grade Two Clonmel Oil Chase over 2m4f on his penultimate start and impressed when dropped in trip in the Grade 1 Paddy's Rewards Club Chase, scoring by 11 lengths. I just get the feeling he will be better suited to a fast-run two miles event rather than this trip at Cheltenham, which will put more emphasis on stamina rather than speed and he appeals as the type who has more pace than anything else.

I could be wrong but I just cannot see him improving enough over this distance to trouble his stablemate, who has by far the strongest form and has been to the Cheltenham Festival and succeeded twice, whereas Blue Lord has been here twice and failed. Not for me.

Fakir D’Oudairies is a high-class horse in his own right and is available at (10/1). However, he has firmly been put in his place by Allaho on several occasions, including in this two years ago when beaten 12 lengths. He has, though, improved a lot since, so there's a possibility about him bridging the gap this time around.

He entered this race two seasons ago with just the one Grade 1 win to his name in this sphere but has won three more since and shaped well when second to Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan. His connections contemplated about going over three miles for a while before he ran in the Punchestown Gold Cup and admittedly he failed to stay when a well beaten fifth.

Nevertheless, his two Grade 1 victories beforehand were good, even if they were substandard renewals for the grade. Additionally, he always seems to run his race when coming over to the UK as his consistency over here cannot be questioned in the slightest, with form figures reading an excellent 14222111.

He has run three times at the Festival in total and made the frame in all of them, so he might be the horse to give the favourite most to think about here and represents great each-way value at the odds. I don’t think his price will last much longer either for this if connections do decide to go back down this route.

I am slightly conscious about Joseph O’Brien bypassing the Festival together again with him though and going for the Melling Chase at Aintree, a race he has won for the last two seasons. However, besides Allaho, this is wide-open and I really can’t see him out of the frame here if declared and this will be his best chance of dethroning the champion, if that transpires of course.

Shishkin (8/1) is Nicky Henderson’s sole entry and having once looked unbeatable over fences, ever since he beat Energumene in that thrilling finish to the Clarence House, the invincibility about him has seemingly disintegrated as he just hasn’t looked the same horse in two starts since.

His disaster in the Champion Chase came as a major shock to most and he then made an underwhelming return when only third in the Tingle Creek. Maybe he needs a step up in trip now and the Ryanair Chase might be the race to revitalise him but even so, he will do well the scale the heights he did a few seasons ago.

Especially against established middle distance performers who are proven at the highest level over that distance in mind. I just can’t have him at single-figure odds for this race at Cheltenham, as he has it all to prove at present and I would much rather select a horse who’s proven over the trip and arrives into the race in a lot better form.

Alan King’s Sceau Royal (50/1) is entered here and the Champion Chase but after being out of luck in the latterly-mentioned race for a number of years, I see no reason why connections can’t try something different with him and tackle the Ryanair Chase at this stage of his career.

This popular 11-year-old could make a trip to Leopardstown for the Dublin Racing Festival in February before heading back to the Cheltenham Festival for the sixth time in his career, which is a testament to the training ability of Alan King and the longevity of this grand servant for connections.

If he doesn’t make the trip over to Ireland, he will most likely end up in the Grade 2 Game Spirit at Newbury, a race he has won once and finished second twice in three previous renewals. He returned a first-time-out winner this season in a Listed event over hurdles and then ran a tidy race when second in the Elite Hurdle.

While he could only finish fourth to Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, he is a better chaser and is now expected to go back over fences with Cheltenham the main goal.

I know he has predominantly been kept to to the two mile trip for the majority of his career but he didn’t appear to lack for stamina when a solid third in the Marsh Chase at Aintree over 2m3f and that performance offered aspiration he might stay the Ryanair distance having watched the replay back several times.

What will also stand him in good stead in whichever of the two possible targets he will turn up in is his record at the Festival given he’s twice finished third in the Champion Chase and was fifth in another when he would have placed again or perhaps even win it without being badly hampered on the rail when travelling better than most.

He’s a high-class horse on his day and let’s not forget he gave the mighty Altior a brief scare in a Champion Chase as well. At 50/1 for the Ryanair Chase, he has unfairly been overlooked.

Ryanair Chase Ante-Post Tips

Allaho might well take this race for the third year in a row and extend Willie Mullins’ amazing record in it as well but given his preparation hasn’t gone as smoothly as it has the last two seasons, I am going to take him on here with two each-way bets in the race. The first one being FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES (best price 10/1).

Allaho has had his measure on several occasions previously, including when beating him two years ago in this race by a wide-margin but there is no doubt Joseph O’Brien’s charge has improved a lot in recent seasons and his fantastic record in the UK and at Cheltenham makes him an appealing each-way proposition here.

This three-time Grade 1-winning chaser won both his starts in Britain at the highest level the last two times he has been here and returned with a sound effort behind Galopin Des Champs in the Grade 1 John Durkan when second.

If Allaho runs to his best he will probably be playing for the minor honours again but that’s an “if” and supposedly the favourite doesn’t run to his best, this nine-year-old is the likely one to pick up the pieces.

He is a high-class horse who doesn’t deserve to be trading at double-figure odds for this race. It might be worth recalling his odds when second in this two years ago, where he was sent off just 11/2, yet he’s nearly double that odds for this year but has even stronger form to his name this time around. I think he has a cracking each-way chance.

This trip might stretch his stamina to the absolute limit but I cannot help but feel as though the odds about SCEAU ROYAL (best price 50/1) are too big to ignore here if connections decide to go down this route instead of the Champion Chase.

This will be his sixth Cheltenham Festival and to be honest, he has been unfortunate not to win at least once and should in turn have placed in three Champion Chase events in his career. His preparations have so far gone to plan and I am convinced his odds will shorten if he can go close in either Ireland at the Dublin Festival or in the Game Spirit at Newbury.

He might actually improve for the step up in distance now he’s older and wiser as well. He has acquitted himself well against some of the very best horses over the years and besides the favourite, I think this is wide-open and he should be suited to the strong pace, as he travels and jumps well and knows his way around here better than most.

Of course, he could line up for the Champion Chase again, but he has to merit consideration at his double-figure odds in this, as this will be the only time we will see such a big price for a horse with an enormous amount of talent. William Hill is offering 33/1 NRNB as well, which is equally great value.