Ryanair Chase Preview - Cheltenham Festival

Published on: 16/03/2017

Ryanair Chase Preview - Cheltenham Festival

March 16, 2016 14:50pm - Cheltenham

Cheltenham Festival

Distance: 2m 4f 166y

Grade: 1

Runners: 8

Winner: £170,850.00

Going: Good (Soft in places)

Empire of Dirt was an ante-post contender for the Gold Cup but owner Michael O`Leary took the decision to play to his strengths in this race, against the wishes of trainer Gordon Elliott. It seems clear that the airline owner is aiming for a first win in the race that he has sponsored for the last 11 years.

The horse won last year`s Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate on this course and shouldn`t have too much trouble dealing with the going or the distance. O`Leary could well be justified in his decision come Thursday afternoon.

Un de Sceaux may have been beaten by Sprinter Sacre in the Champion Chase last year but is facing lesser opposition in this field. He is unproven over this trip but will likely set off as favourite due to his strong credentials. He has two festival appearance to his name, winning the Arkle on his debut before bagging second in the afore-mentioned Champion Chase. He already has two wins under his belt this season including a win here in the Clarence House Chase. He sometimes makes the odd mistake but the step up in trip is the main concern.

Former winner Uxizandre returned from injury with good performance following Un De Sceaux home over 2 miles back January. That was his only outing since winning this race back in 2015 when he defeated 2016 Gold Cup winner Don Cossack. He loves this course and trip and should be well prepared for this one.

Betting odds and tips

In a decent field that should produce a close race on Thursday, Empire of Dirt just gets the nod. However, expect Uxizandre to push him all the way.

Empire of Dirt can be backed at a best price of 5/2 with Bet365.

Remember, Bet365 are offering guaranteed best odds on all Cheltenham races and a 100% deposit bonus up to £200 for new accounts.

Ryanair Chase winners - Last three years:

2014: Dynaste (8) - Tom Scudamore (David Pipe)

2015: Uxizandre (7) - Tony McCoy (Alan King)

2016: Vautour (7) - Ruby Walsh (Willie Mullins)

By Neil Morris

Published on: 16/03/2017

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (16/03/2017 09:04:16) but are subject to change.