The Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 event, run on Cheltenham’s New Course and it’s runners must jump 17 fences.
The race is one of the newer races at the Festival, having been introduced in 2005 when a fourth day was added. The actual name of the race is the ‘Festival Trophy’, however it has always been run under a sponsors name. The race was initially a Grade 2 race, but was raised to Grade 1 in 2008.
2.50 Ryanair Chase (ITV/RTV)
Type: Grade 1 Steeplechase Race
Distance: 2m 5f
Age: 5 year olds +
Weight: 11st 9lb (5 yo) 11st 10lb (6yo+)
Prize Fund: £350,000
2010-2019 Quick Read Stats
Thursday 12 March
Cheltenham (New Course) 2.50: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) 5yo+) 2m4½f (ITV)
Trainers
- Willie Mullins and Jonjo O’Neill have both trained two winners in the past 10 years, with O’Neill scoring twice with Albertas Run and Mullins having three placed winners
Age
- 7yo winners: 5
- 8yo: 2
- 9yo: 2
- 10yo: 1
Official Rating
- Eight winners had a rating of 165 or higher
SPs
- Four favourites have won in the past 10 years – four more were placed
- Of the non-favourite winners, two returned double-digit SPS, 14/1 and 16/1
Form Pointers
- Nine winners had won over the distance
- Eight winners had previously won at Cheltenham, two course-and-distance
- Eight winners had won a Grade 1 race
- Seven winners had won at least one race in the same season
- Five winners had a 50% or better strike rate over the jumps
- Four winners won last time out, three more were second