Ryanair Chase Tips: Old rivals could be key once again

The Ryanair Chase, 2m 4.5f and 17 fences, has been around since 2005 - a relatively recent addition to the Festival. The intermediate trip is pretty niche in terms of G1 contests, and certainly at this meeting, hence its popular introduction.

Good horses appear on the roll of honour - the likes of Cue Card, Vautour, the fabulous Frodon, Envoi Allen, and last year's impressive scorer; a certain Fact To File.

More of him shortly ...

Ryanair Chase odds

One year ago Willie Mullins' Fact To File, in the fabled green and gold hooped livery of John Patrick McManus, took this contest in devastating fashion by 9l. The now nine-year-old gelded son of a French G1 middle-distance star was the well-supported 6/4 favourite, and lines up for a repeat bid at an even more prohibitive price this time around.

Is it justified, that powerful support? In my book, most certainly.

There's a weighty argument that says he's even better this March, as when he sluiced up 12 months ago he was officially rated 166. In today's race card you'll see the assessor now has him on 173, which to put into some context is higher than any entrant in Friday's Blue Riband event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Fact To File @ 4/6

Indeed, there was much discussion about which target Fact To File should pursue, but the owner feels this is his best opportunity and will most likely rely on defending champion Inothewayurthinkin and Spillane's Tower in the big one.

Fact To File was a shade disappointing perhaps in the King George on Boxing Day, nearly 10l adrift of the principals at the finish, but he didn't fire and might be less effective going right-handed - though Punchestown has generally seen him in a pretty decent light apart from in last year's Irish Champion Chase. However, an abrasion picked up in that race could well have been the root cause.

His last run this term, one that tees him up spectacularly for this, was a Leopardstown demolition job in the Irish Gold Cup 38 days ago. He beat Gaelic Warrior by a cosy 5l and was mightily impressive - over 3m 1f.  He steps down for this Ryanair trip but we know it fits like a glove from 12 months ago, and in all fairness I just can't see him getting beat. Mind you, I felt similarly about Majborough yesterday ...

The excellent Mark Walsh, on the scoreboard of course at the meeting, has the riding assignment. Willie Mullins has won this contest on six previous occasions, and for me number seven is looming large on the Cheltenham horizon.

I'm offering up an each-way play too in the shape of Henry De Bromhead's eight-year-old French-bred gelding Heart Wood.

He tuned up nicely for this with a comfortable G3 success at Tramore in January under today's pilot Darragh O'Keefe, and has been tucked away nicely since. In last year's race he finished a 9l second to Fact To File, and it was a further 8.5l back to the third.

He lined up then off 159 and is officially rated 162 today, so he's another who's certainly not stood still in the interim. He might be destined for another look at the selection's backside, but the view won't be remotely unpalatable if he can land some nice place money and each-way cash.

Heart Wood each-way @ 10/1

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