2024 Ryanair Chase Tips

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Formerly known as the Festival Chase, the Ryanair Chase is a popular betting race on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival and has generated plenty of interest since becoming a Grade 1 chase in 2008. 

Some of the more impressive thoroughbreds have won in recent history, including Cue Card and Un de Sceaux – two of the more popular chasers of this generation. 

It’s a great race and it will continue to carve out a legacy during the Cheltenham Festival.

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2024 Ryanair Chase Tips

We provide ante-post tips covering the Ryanair Chase throughout the season and our final Ryanair Chase tips can be found here.

Ryanair Chase Key Facts


DateThursday March 14, 2024
Time2:50pm
TrackCheltenham
Distance2m 5f
StatusGrade 1
Prize Money£275,000
Age5YO+

Ryanair Chase Winners


The Ryanair Chase has only been a fixture of the Cheltenham Festival since 2005, but in that time, there have been many champion winners. 

Albertas Run scored consecutive wins in 2010 and 2011. The great Ruby Walsh scored wins in 2016/2017 for trainer Willie Mullins.

Year
Winner
2023Envoi Allen
2022Allaho
2021Allaho
2020Min
2019Frodon
2018Balko des Flos
2017Un de Sceaux
2016Vautour
2015Uxizandre
2014Dynaste
2013Cue Card
2012Riverside Theatre
2011Albertas Run
2010Albertas Run
2009Imperial Commander
2008Our Vic
2007Taranis
2006Fondmort
2005Thisthatandtother

Ryanair Chase History


Having only started in 2005, there isn’t much history for the Ryanair Chase, but it’s quickly becoming a race that will be steeped in history in some years’ time. 

Amazingly, despite only being run on 14 occasions, there are five trainers with multiple wins in the Ryanair Chase and jockey Ruby Walsh has won four times. 

Walsh scored in 2005 with Thisthatandtother before repeating in 2007 with Taranis. It would be nine years before Walsh scored another win in the Ryanair Chase when Vautour won in 2016 and that was followed up with a win with Un des Sceaux in 2017. 

AP McCoy scored his last ever Cheltenham Festival win aboard Uxizandre in 2015 before his retirement.  

The trainers with two wins in the Ryanair Chase are Paul Nicholls, Jonjo O’Neill, Nicky Henderson, David Pipe and Willie Mullins. 

Only one horse, Albertas Run, has won the Ryanair Chase more than once.  

French runners have a good history in the race, winning with the likes of Uxizandre, Vautour, Un de Sceaux and Balko des Flos – which made it four consecutive wins for the French-born runners from 2015-2018. 

The race features 17 jumps for the field to navigate and it was one of several new races added to the card when a fourth day was added to the festival in 2005.  

Originally classed as a Grade 2, it was promoted to Grade 1 status in 2008 when Our Vic was victorious. 

The Daily Telegraph was the original sponsor of the Festival Trophy but when Ryanair came on board, the race subsequently became the Ryanair Chase. 

After years of finishing behind Altior, Min finally claimed the first Cheltenham Festival win of his career in the 2020 Ryanair Chase, beating Saint Calvados and A Plus Tard by a narrow margin.

Ryanair Chase 2024 FAQs

When is the Ryanair Chase?

The Ryanair Chase Cheltenham 2024 is the third race on Day Three of the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday, March 14th. It is a Grade 1 race over 2m 5f and is the championship contest for chasers whose optimum trip falls between that of the Champion Chase and Gold Cup.

What time is the Ryanair Chase 2024?

The Ryanair Chase is due off at 2.50pm on Thursday, March 14th 2024.

Who will win the 2024 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase?

Our Cheltenham Festival betting tips have been carefully selected by Cheltenham pundits and our team of horse racing experts. They're free, so check them out if you're not sure who to bet on in the Ryanair Chase 2024.