The Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase which is ran on Cheltenham’s New Course and it’s runners must jump seventeen 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, however it was upgraded to a 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
2009-2018 Stats
Trainers:
- Won by eight different trainers, with Willie Mullins and Jonjo O’Neill both with a brace of victories
Age:
- Four 7yo, three 8yo and two 9yo winners in the last ten years
SP:
- Three winning favourites in ten years, with other winning odds ranging from 7/2 to 16/1
Form pointers:
- Nine winners had previously run four times
- Six winners were first or second in their preceding race, eight were first or second in their preceding two races
- Nine winners had won over the distance, including one C&D winner, and seven had previously won at Cheltenham
