Cheltenham Festival: Everything you need to know about the 2024 Ryanair Chase

The Ryanair chase is one of the more recent additions to the festival schedule. First run in 2005 as a Grade 2, but it has been a Grade 1 for the past 16 years. 

Run over two miles and five furlongs, it sits between the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup in terms of distance. The horses have 17 fences to jump.

The last three editions of the Ryanair have been won by Cheveley Park Stud with Allaho in 2021 and 2022 then Envoi Allen last year. 

Willie Mullins is the leading trainer in this race with five wins.

When is it? 

The race has a scheduled post time of 2.50pm on March 14, 2024. 

How can I watch?

The race will be broadcast live on ITV and Racing TV, you will also be able to stream it through the SBK app.

The Runners

Envoi Allen - 4.7
Banbridge - 5.4
Stage Star - 6.2
Capodanno - 8.2
Conflated - 9.8
Fil Dor - 10.0
Protektorat - 10.5
Fugitif - 17.0
26.0 - BAR

Who should you back?

Banbridge is the market leader at the moment, however he is a very ground dependent horse. Check out the latest Millar’s Method for more detail on him and other horses whose chances will be affected by the ground. Banbridge was withdrawn from the Turners’ Chase last year after the ground turned soft so Banbridge backers will be hoping that the rain stays away from Prestbury Park in the lead-up to the race.

The eight-year-old does fall into the right age bracket to win this race with the last 11 winners aged between seven and nine. 

Defending champion Envoi Allen is now ten so would have to defy that trend. It has also not been a race for outsiders with 11 of the last 12 winners being 8/1 or shorter. 

Interestingly, the last ten winners have all been bred in France, this is something only Envoi Allen and Fil Dor at the top of the market can lay claim to. 

Stage Star, a winner over this trip at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, will bid to give Paul Nicholls a fourth win in the race. The Champion Trainer in the UK last won this race with Frodon who was given a brilliant front running ride by Bryony Frost.

Verdict:

If the ground doesn’t turn soft, Banbridge will likely be sent off a well-backed favourite for Joseph O’Brien. He looks tailor-made for this race but will face stiff opposition from last year’s champion Envoi Allen. Envoi Allen is a three-time Festival winner and comes alive at Cheltenham. His win in last year’s race under Rachael Blackmore when beating Shishkin represents very strong form. He’s been aimed at this race all season and he can write himself into Cheltenham folklore by winning a fourth Cheltenham Festival race.