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Strong field for Ryanair Chase7th March 2008
Ante-post favourite Mossbank and last year's runner-up Our Vic stand out among 15 horses still in the Ryanair Chase following the confirmation stage today.
The former has not been seen since chasing home Denman in the Lexus Chase, while the David Pipe-trained Our Vic took second behind Knowhere at Cheltenham towards the end of January.
Three-time Grade 1 winner The Listener is still involved, along with Pipe's Tamarinbleu, who is still engaged in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Other intriguing possibles at this stage include Newmill, winner of the Champion Chase two years ago, Ferdy Murphy's L'Antartique and the Henry Daly-trained Billyvoddan, a close third in the race 12 months ago.
Paul Nicholls has won two of the last three renewals with Thisthatandtother and Taranis respectively and will rely solely on Turko next week.
Owned by Andy Stewart, Turko posted an emphatic victory at Sandown on his penultimate start in early December.
However, Stewart believes it is the Michael Hourigan-trained market-leader who will take the most beating at Cheltenham: "It's not The Listener I'd be more worried about on faster ground over two-miles-five, but Mossbank," he commented.
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Ryanair Chase favourite, Mossbank