Ryanair Chase Tips 2023
The Ryanair Chase is part of the build-up to the Cheltenham Day 3 Stayers’ Hurdle headline event. This popular staple of the Cheltenham Festival betting scene is a Grade 1 contest over an excellent middle-distance chase trip. On this page, our betting experts will examine Ryanair Chase tips 2023 to see who may follow the likes of previous winners Cue Card, Vautour and Un De Sceaux into the record books.
Ryanair Chase Potential Runners & Favourites
The Ryanair Chase is a fantastic contest, and it has given rise to some famous winners in the past. However, the distance of the Ryanair sits between the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup, and there is usually a very strong field out for this Grade 1 effort.
ALLAHO is the clear market leader in this year’s Ryanair Chase betting. He scored in half of his last ten chases, and the most recent was at Thurles in January.
In it, he hammered another of this year’s big Cheltenham Festival players Fakir D’oudairies by 12 lengths. Allaho is the reigning Ryanair Chase holder and has beaten that same rival by 12 lengths in the 2021 edition.
One big player to tackle the Ryanair on Thursday is CONFLATED from Gordon Elliott. He took a fantastic Irish Gold Cup score (Grade 1) in early February so should be right in the mix here.
SHAN BLUE would have won the Charlie Hall Chase had he not fallen at the last, and providing he can get round here he could give Allaho a serious challenge.
With other potential runners in the form of ELDORADO ALLEN, MELON and MISTER FISHER, the field will be strong even if they don’t all go off. SAINT CALVADOS and FANION D’ESTRUVAL would be shock winners if they can pull off the unlikeliest of victories here.
Ryanair Chase Confirmed Runners
| Horse | Silks | Trainer/Jockey | Odds |
| Allaho |  | J: Paul Townend T: Willie Mullins | 8/13 |
| Conflated |  | J: Davy Russell T: Gordon Elliott | 11/2 |
| Shan Blue |  | J: Harry Skelton T: Dan Skelton | 8/1 |
| Eldorado Allen |  | J: Brendan Powell T: Colin Tizzard | 12/1 |
| Janidil |  | J: Mark Walsh T: Willie Mullins | 14/1 |
| Melon |  | J: Patrick Mullins T: Willie Mullins | 16/1 |
| Mister Fisher |  | J: James Bowen T: Nicky Henderson | 25/1 |
| Saint Calvados |  | J: Harry Cobden T: Paul Nicholls | 25/1 |
| Fanion D’Estruval |  | J: Charlie Deutsch T: Venetia Williams | 33/1 |
*Odds Correct as of 12pm 15/03/22*
How Often Does a Favourite Horse Win The Ryanair Chase Race
Sizing up some leading players in this top Cheltenham Festival race, favourites should firmly be considered among Ryanair Chase tips. Half of the last ten renewals of this Grade 1 race have been won by the race favourite.
That includes last year’s winner Allaho who delivered the odds at a 3/1 SP for trainer Willie Mullins. Only one of the previous ten Ryanair Chase winners have been bigger than 8/1, and narrowing that down a little further, just two have been bigger than 9/2.
So without question, because this is a high-quality fixture on the Cheltenham Festival Day 3 list, the options towards the front of the Ryanair Chase betting market can be looked at.
Ryanair Chase Favourites vs Winners in The Past 10 Years
| Year | Favourite Horse* | Winning Horse |
| 2021 | Allaho | Allaho (3/1) |
| 2020 | A Plus Tard (3rd) | Min (2/1) |
| 2019 | Footpad (8th) | Frodon (9/2) |
| 2018 | Un De Sceaux (2nd) | Balko Des Flos (8/1) |
| 2017 | Un De Sceaux | Un De Sceaux (7/4) |
| 2016 | Vautour | Vautour (Evens) |
| 2015 | Don Cossack (3rd) | Uxizandre (16/1) |
| 2014 | Dynaste | Dynaste (3/1) |
| 2013 | First Lieutenant (2nd) | Cue Card (7/2) |
| 2012 | Riverside Theatre | Riverside Theatre (7/2) |
*(-) = Finishing Position, UR = Unseated Rider, F = Faller, RO = Ran Out, PU = Pulled Up
Ryanair Chase History & Present Time
This is a Grade 1 contest at the Cheltenham Festival, and the Ryanair was introduced into the scene back in 2005. The fixture was part of the significant Cheltenham Festival reshuffle that happened when it was extended to four days.
The distance of the chase is approximately 2m 4 1/2f trip, and the competitors will face 17 fences. Its registered race name is the Festival Trophy, and it earned its Grade 1 status in 2008. Mares claim a 7lb allowance for the race.
Ryanair Chase Jockey & Trainer Records
The only horse to have won the Ryanair Chase twice is Albertas Run, who scored in 2010 and 2011 for the Tony McCoy and Jonjo O’Neill jockey/trainer partnership. The all-time leading jockey in the Ryanair is Ruby Walsh, who claimed four wins during his career.
The last of those was on the back of Un De Sceaux in 2017. There is no active jockey that has won the Ryanair more than once.
Willie Mullins has won the Ryanair Chase four times before, making him the leading trainer in the history of the race. For the 2023 renewal, Willie Mullins will be looking to secure the title for the third year running. Paul Nicholls has won it three times, while Nicky Henderson, Jonjo O’Neill and David Pipe have won it twice.