Ryanair Chase 2025 - Henry's teenager a lurking danger at Cheltenham

Jon Vine

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Last updated: 13 Mar 2025

Jon Vine 13 Mar 2025

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Free guide to the 2025 Ryanair Chase
This race will take place on day three of the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday 13th March
16/1 outsider Jungle Boogie features in our verdict

Expired

The Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. (Getty)

The unofficial fifth Championship race at the Cheltenham Festival is the Ryanair Chase. This two-and-a-half-mile chase has been won by many top class horses since its creation in 2005 and a classy field looks set to contest this year's renewal.

Here's our free guide to the 2025 Ryanair Chase, featuring the latest odds, expert analysis and our best betting tips.

*Note - Best bets won't be finalised until the field has been confirmed*

2025 Ryanair Chase Odds

Name	Odds
Fact To File	11/8
Gaelic Warrior	5/1
Il Est Francais	6/1
Spillane's Tower	6/1
Protektorat	7/1
Bar	12/1

2025 Ryanair Chase Tips - Leading Contenders

The firm favourite to win this year's Ryanair is Fact To File. Willie Mullins' star won the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase last season and topped the Gold Cup market following his victory in the John Durkan. Fact To File has been well-beaten by Galopin Des Champs twice since then, and the vibes coming out of Closutton suggest that he could be dropping back down in trip for the Festival.

In contrast, Willie Mullins' seemed to intimate that last year's Arkle winner, Gaelic Warrior would be stepping up in trip following his recent defeats at Leopardstown. Mullins' had been training Gaelic Warrior for the Champion Chase, but stepping up in distance should suit, given his form over hurdles.

Noel George seemed to be leaning towards running Il Est Francais in the Ryanair Chase when he spoke to Racing TV this week. The former Kauto Star winner and King George runner-up loves to bowl along at the front, and George was worried that his star wouldn't get an easy lead if he pitched up in the Champion Chase.

Then there's Spillane's Tower, who could only finish fifth as the favourite in the King George VI Chase. James Mangan's two-time Grade One winner was removed from the Gold Cup after that performance and the Ryanair is his only Festival entry.

2025 Ryanair Chase Tips - The Best Of The Rest

Protektorat ran out an impressive winner of this race 12 months ago and returns to the Ryanair on the back of an impressive victory in the Fleur Du Lys Chase at Windsor. 2023 winner, Envoi Allen placed second to Protektorat last year, and could have his third run in the Ryanair before heading on to the Grand National.

I put El Fabiolo up as an ante-post selection for this race ahead of his comeback run in the Dublin Chase. Willie Mullins' star fell at the third flight that day and wasn't fit in time for his intended prep-run in the Red Mills Chase. Sadly, it seems like El Fabiolo is losing his race against time to be fit for the Festival.

Willie Mullins has also entered Blue Lord and Grangeclare West, who is apparently being trained for the Grand National. Envoi Allen could be joined in the field by stablemates Heart Wood, second in the Drinmore earlier in the season, and Jungle Boogie, who finished sixth behind Galopin Des Champs in last year's Gold Cup.

Djelo bounced back from defeat to Protektorat at Windsor by running away with the Denman Chase at Newbury, after which Venetia Williams claimed he would head to the Ryanair. Found A Fifty finished second in last year's Arkle and would be respected if he turned up on day three of the Cheltenham Festival, despite that propensity to jump out to his right.

An interesting entrant is Jonjo & AJ O'Neill's novice Springwell Bay, who could also run in the Arkle, Brown Advisory or any of the handicap chases. JPR One and Master Chewy could step up in trip, while Hitman and Ginny's Destiny are potential runners for Paul Nicholls.

jungle boogie — Darragh O'Keeffe riding Jungle Boogie clear the last to win The Howden Graduation Chase at Ascot. (Getty)

2025 Ryanair Chase - Best Bets

Plenty of horses down the years have made all to win the Ryanair Chase and Il Est Francais is certainly classy enough to hold on from the front. That only drawback for Il Est Francais, and Spillane's Tower, is their lack of Cheltenham form. No horse has ever won the Ryanair on their first start at the track.

If Fact To File does indeed turn up here, then he could be extremely hard to beat. He's clearly the classiest horse in the contest. Yet, Willie Mullins' star has been a little disappointing on his two most recent starts and there's a chance those defeats to Galopin Des Champs have taken their toll on the market leader.

Three of the last five Ryanair's have been won by nine-year-olds, so it's a race that seems to suit older horses. JUNGLE BOOGIE (16/1) is an 11-year-old, but he's also the least exposed runner in the race, having run just six times under rules.

Henry De Bromhead managed to get three runs into Jungle Boogie last season, after Willie Mullins struggled to keep this talented horse sound. Rachael Blackmore's mount beat Classic Getaway in the New Year's Day Chase at Tramore, before that sixth-place finish in the Gold Cup.

Jungle Boogie was held up out the back on his Cheltenham debut, but still seemed to be travelling within himself approaching the third-last, but Blackmore's mount pecked badly on landing that flight. Although he managed to get back on the bridle, that mistake knocked the stuffing out of Jungle Boogie, who trailed across the line 21 lengths adrift of Galopin Des Champs.

De Bromhead's raider won on his only start of this season at Ascot in December. Jungle Boogie's task was made easier when Iroko departed early, but Darragh O'Keeffe's mount went on to hammer Fil Dor and James Du Berlais, despite jumping markedly left at most of his obstacles.

Henry will have been delighted with 90% of Jungle Boogie's run in the Gold Cup, where he proved he could handle this tricky track. Injuries prevented Jungle Boogie from showing his true potential earlier in his career, but he's clearly a top-class horse, who knows how to win and is unbeaten over this intermediate distance.

Verdict

Ryanair Chase 2025

Jungle Boogie might be 11, but he's won five of his seven career starts and performed with great credit in last year's Gold Cup.

I won't be backing Henry De Bromhead's teenager until the field is confirmed, as I fancy he could go off at longer than 16/1 once the likes of Fact To File, Gaelic Warrior and Il Est Francais are confirmed in the contest.

Jungle Boogie

2025 Ryanair Chase

@16/1 - 5 Units

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