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Ryanair Chase
Race Conditions
The Ryanair Chase (2:40pm) is a Class A Grade 1 chase run over two miles and five furlongs. It is open to horses aged five years old and upwards. The total prize fund is £250,000.
It partially replaced the Cathcart Chase, which was run over the same distance, but restricted to novices and second-season chasers. That race was discontinued and replaced by two separate races; the Festival Trophy (run as the Ryanair Chase since 2006, having initially been sponsored by the Daily Telegraph) and the Jewson Novices Handicap Chase also run over 2 miles 5 furlongs.
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Recent Winners
The introduction of the Ryanair Chase has proved to be an unqualified success.
There were those who feared that the race might detract from the Queen Mother Chase or the Gold Cup. However, after four runnings the event has proved that there is a place at the Festival for a separate championship race over this distance.
In fact, not only is there currently a crop of top class two and half mile chasers, there are also a number of horses who specialise at that sort of trip around Cheltenham. Races such as the Paddy Power Gold Cup and Boylesports Gold Cup, therefore, are proving to be excellent form guides for this race.
| Year | Horse | Age | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Imperial Commander | 8 | N A Twiston-Davies | 6/1 |
| 2008 | Our Vic | 10 | D E Pipe | 4/1 |
| 2007 | Taranis | 6 | P F Nicholls | 9/2 |
| 2006 | Fondmort | 10 | N Henderson | 100/30JF |
| 2005 | Thisthatandtother | 9 | P F Nicholls | 9/2 |
Key Trends
9 of the 10 winners and runners-up had won at Cheltenham before (including all 5 winners).
5 of the 5 winners were rated between 152-157 beforehand.
All 5 winners started at less than 6/1.
11 of 15 win-and-placed positions have been filled by horses in the first 4 in the betting.
Paul Nicholls has won 2 of the 5 runnings.
2010 Ryanair Chase Preview
With last year’s winner, Imperial Commander, bound for the Gold Cup, and last year’s hot favourite and runner up, Voy Por Ustedes seemingly not in the same form this season as he was last, the way looks open for a new champion to emerge at this intermediate distance.
There are plenty of good trials run for this race throughout the season, many of them at Cheltenham, and two horses who have thrown their hats into the ring after decent performances in those contests are Poquelin and Tranquil Sea.
The latter beat the former in the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November, but Poquelin didn’t get the run of the race on that occasion and wasn’t as well suited by the soft ground either, so can overturn that form here. He seems to enjoy this track and, providing he can improve his jumping, he looks sure to be involved at the death.
Interestingly, last year’s Gold Cup may also prove to be a decent trial for this race. Two horses who were still travelling particularly well at the top of the hill that day were Albertas Run and Barbers Shop but both ran out of gas on the stamina sapping run to the line.
They should, therefore, be suited by the step back in trip here and both have been in good form this season.
Barbers Shop was also going ominously well in the Hennessy in December, only to fade behind the awesome Denman. He then was the only horse to try to mix it with Kauto Star up the Kempton straight in the King George and although he was easily brushed aside in the end, it was no disgrace to be beaten the way he was and he is clearly a classy performer in his own right. Providing those two tough races haven’t left their mark, he looks the one to beat.
Albertas Run won the 2008 RSA Chase, but he has seemed to be suited by a step back in trip in recent starts, confirming the evidence of his run in the Gold Cup. You can’t beat previous Festival form when it comes to trying to find future Festival winners and Jonjo O’Neill has a fine record with his chasers at this meeting in recent seasons.
By contrast to those two, Schindlers Hunt has actually relished a step up in distance and this former high class two miler has been mixing it with the best over longer trips in Ireland all season. His efforts have been all the more noteworthy as they have tended to come on unsuitably soft ground. On a better surface, he has every chance of replicated last season’s third in this contest.
Planet Of Sound was second behind Albertas Run when the two met at Ascot earlier this season. He is entitled to reverse that form here, with a swing in the weights, but most of his best efforts so far have come on flatter tracks. Having said that, he ran well when third in last season’s Arkle.
Deep Purple definitely needs a flat track and was disappointing in the King George after a couple of excellent efforts previous to that.
Of the rest, J’y Vole is a hugely talented mare, but needs very soft ground to be at her best, whilst Jack The Giant would be interesting were it not for the fact that he has been off the track injured for over 400 days. His trainer has brought horses back to run well at the Festival off long absences before, so he shouldn’t be overlooked if he does make the line up.
CONCLUSION: BARBERS SHOP looks the form choice after excellent efforts in big races behind Denman and Kauto Star earlier in the season. Poquelin has very solid claims too and should make the frame, whilst the talented, but fragile, Jack The Giant would be a lively outsider if going to post.
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Race Facts
1. The Ryanair Chase was introduced to The Festival in 2005. It replaced the Cathcart Chase, although the conditions of the race changed slightly with it being open to all horses rather than being restricted to first and second season chasers.
2. The first three renewals were run as Grade Two contests. It became a Grade One affair in 2008.
3. The Daily Telegraph backed the inaugural contest, with Irish airline Ryanair taking over the sponsorship for 2006. Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief executive, came close to winning his company’s money in 2008 when owning the runner-up Mossbank.
4. Fondmort, the 100/30 joint-favourite, was landing his fourth race at Cheltenham when victorious in 2006. Our Vic, successful in 2008, was winning for the third time at the course and has a further four Cheltenham placed efforts to his name, including when runner-up in the 2007 Ryanair Chase.
5. Last year’s winner Imperial Commander also boasted previous winning form at Cheltenham, with four previous successes at the course to his name including victory in the Grade Three Paddy Power Chase at The Open in November, 2008.
2009 Ryanair Chase Review
Another excellent renewal of a race that has quickly established itself as one of the premier chases in the jump racing calendar and Paddy Power Gold Cup winner, IMPERIAL COMMANDER made it a notable double with a decisive victory.
In fact, he has now won four of his five starts at the track and with only eleven previous career starts under his belt he should improve again next term and could well be aimed at next year’s Gold Cup. The longer trip is surely within his reach given how well he stayed on up the hill here. He has been one of the finds of the season.
Voy Por Ustedes is also something of a course specialist, with two Festival victories (in the Arkle and the Queen Mother) already on his glittering CV. Although this has been something of a new trip for him this season, he was many people’s banker of the meeting following a superb win at Ascot over 2m 5f in unsuitably heavy ground last time out. However, he ruined his chances here with an almighty blunder at the fourth last. To his credit, he kept coming back for more and despite further errors he stayed on gamely to take second. He’ll surely be in the mix in this race again next season, providing he jumps better.
Schindlers Hunt, another former two mile specialist, seems to have improved for a step up in trip and that, combined with the better ground here, saw him put up his best effort to date and he was unlucky to just lose out on second close home. He pressed the winner from the second last right until the dying strides and connections clearly have plenty of new big race options now that he has proved his stamina.
The enigmatic Tidal Bay, another former Arkle winner, got going all too late, but flew up the hill to finish fourth. He still gives the impression that something isn’t quite right, either physically or mentally, and he doesn’t seem totally in love with the game at the moment.
Gwanko (fifth) has always been ultra consistent and ran another solid race here. This is probably as good as he is and connections will be faced with a dilemma in the future as he is plenty high enough in the handicap, but lacks the class for these championship races.
Monet’s Garden (sixth) hasn’t always shown his best around here and that appeared to be the case again today.
The evergreen Mister McGoldrick ran with plenty of credit in this company, only fading after the third last.
2009 Ryanair Chase winner Imperial Commander looks set to be aimed at the 2010 Gold Cup
2008 Ryanair Chase Review
It was fourth time lucky for OUR VIC as David Pipe’s hugely talented 10 year old finally secured the Festival win his ability has always warranted. Supporting first time blinkers, Our Vic was in the front rank throughout and despite clouting the second last he was nicely clear approaching the last and stayed on well on the run in to claim this valuable prize.
Plenty have questioned the resilience of this horse down the years, but not many can match his superb strike rate (nearly 50%) and he has won his owner, David Johnson, nearly £500,000 in win and place prize money. On this showing, he is better than ever right now.
Mossbank was given a patient ride out the back, but as a consequence was never quite able to get to the winner. He would probably have preferred an even sounder surface as his jockey reported that he found the ground a bit tacky. He also stays further and may be back for a crack at the Gold Cup next year.
Turko won the battle with Knight Legend and The Listener for third.
Turko didn’t help his chances with some lacklustre jumping, but he stayed on well up the hill after losing his place three out. He’ll also be suited by a step back up in trip.
Knight Legend’s fourth was a career best effort. Unlike the second and third, he didn’t quite get up the hill, but his improved effort here was in no small part down to a much slicker performance over the obstacles. As only a second season chaser, he can improve further.
The Listener was never going to be suited by this trip on this ground and it was a surprise to see him go off favourite. In the circumstances, this wasn’t a bad effort. There are plenty more good races in him when he returns to his favourite conditions.
Racing Demon flew up the hill having been miles off the pace three out. Once again, his tendency to jump to the right hindered his chances here and this clearly isn’t his favourite track. He’ll undoubtedly be aimed at the Peterborough Chase again next season.
L’Antartique has become disappointing and appears to have fallen out of love with the game.
2007 Ryanair Chase Review
Although in only its third year, this race has quickly established itself as one of the blue riband events of the Festival, and this year’s field was full of top class horses who served up a thrilling finish worthy of the huge first prize.
The complexion of the race was changed completely by the fall of long time leader Crozan at one of the notorious downhill fences, four from home. That left eventual winner, TARANIS in front and that’s were he stayed, repelling a serious of challengers in the process.
This was a fine effort from Paul Nicholls’ horse who is only six years old and could develop into a Gold Cup horse next year. For now, though, he is a specialist at this trip, as his fine performance here in the Paddy Power Gold Cup earlier in the season proved. He fell at the second last that day, but had he stood up he could easily have beaten Exotic Dancer, giving that horse ten pounds. He certainly showed no end of courage here and his connections have always held him in the highest regard.
Monet’s Garden was the first of the challengers to have a pop at the winner. He hadn’t travelled particularly well for much of the final circuit, but he took the lead briefly three out before being outpaced and finishing a slightly disappointing fourth. The evidence here suggested he needs further but his form earlier in the season had connections eying a crack at the Queen Mother over the shorter trip of two miles. It may simply be that the horse wasn’t at his best today.
Billyvoddan was the next serious challenger. He got to within a length of the winner on the run in but never really looked like getting past. He has had a marvellous season, though, and has been rejuvenated by blinkers. He is perhaps even better over slightly further.
The last horse to try to wrestle the prize from the winner was the mercurial Our Vic. He had struggled for much of the contest and at no point looked like getting into the race until spouting wings after jumping the last. In fact, he was probably an unlucky loser as he was hampered by the fall of Crozan and lost more ground there than the distance he was beaten in the end.
It is hard to crab a horse that has won as many races and as much prize money as Our Vic, but he is extremely hard to predict and his form figures that contain almost as many “P’s” as “1’s” probably sum him up.
Crozan was the other unlucky horse of the race as he was still travelling strongly when coming to grief. Ironically, he had jumped pretty well prior to falling and was clearly inspired by first time blinkers and a return to decent ground. He has no end of talent, but is almost as much of an enigma as Our Vic.
Racing Demon again threw away his chances by jumping persistently out to the right. He did well to finish as close as he did, given the amount of ground he gave away.
Hi Cloy hasn’t been in the same form as he was last year, whilst Thisthatandother probably isn’t as good as he once was – not over this trip at least.
2006 Ryanair Chase Review
An emotional success for one of the most popular horses in training and one of the all time great Cheltenham specialists. As Nicky Henderson remarked after the race, FONDMORT may not be a Best Mate or an Arkle but he really deserved his place on the Festival roll of honor as there are few gamer horses in training, or better jumpers. This was his fourth course and distance success, including victories in the Paddy Power and the Tripleprint, and he was only just touched off in this event last year.
The race was run at a furious pace from the start, and the time was around two seconds quicker than that taken earlier in the afternoon by Reveillez in the Jewson.
Jockey Mick Fitzgerald took Fondmort to the front four out, having been prominent from the off. He was determined to ensure that Tony McCoy, aboard Impek, didn’t turn the race into a sprint. The tactics worked in the end, but it had taken a lot out of the horse going clear up the straight and he was running on empty at the finish. The line came just in time to deny the fast finishing Lacdoudal, with Impek just a further head back in third.
Lacdoudal is another horse who loves Cheltenham and he is likely to continue to be aimed at these sorts of races and the big handicaps run at the track. However, recent efforts have suggested that a step up in trip might suit (he was slightly outpaced mid-race here) and a crack at next year’s Gold Cup surely isn’t out of the question.
Much to the annoyance of his trainer, Impek got very upset before the start. Henrietta Knight felt that the horse could easily have been calmed down before the off but the starter didn’t give her the chance and connections clearly believed afterwards that the incident affected his chances. Not that he ran badly, however. He was in the firing line throughout, but was just outstayed up the straight. A bad mistake two out didn’t help, but he’s had an excellent season and is sure to be back for another crack at this race next year.
The first three were well clear giving the form a very solid look.
Once again, the big disappointment was a well fancied Martin Pipe runner. However, Old Vic has never been the most consistent of horses and he is just as likely to win as pull up.