Cheltenham Festival: Key Ryanair Chase contenders analysed by Sky Sports Racing’s Mick Fitzgerald | Racing News

Former jockey and Sky Sports Racing presenter Mick Fitzgerald has cast his expert eye over four of the key contenders for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Willie Mullins’ runaway winner of the race last year, Allaho is a hot favourite to become the first horse since Albertas Run (2010 and 2011) to win back-to-back titles.

Shan Blue appears to head the potential opposition to Allaho’s crown having been aimed specifically at the contest following his fall in the Charlie Hall Chase back in October.

Allaho

Allaho will almost certainly go off a short-priced favourite, but it is very hard to get away from him when you look at his form this season – he won the John Durkan at Punchestown in December and the fifth, Tornado Flyer, won a King George, and Envoi Allen was behind him.

It is hard to say for sure that he was definitely going to win with Asterion Forlonge going easily when unseating his rider three out, but my own thoughts are that he would have prevailed that day. There were some cracking horses in there like Janidil and Melon, and the form is really good.

When you think about what he did at Cheltenham last year when beating Fakir D’oudairies by 12 lengths in the Ryanair. He was in a league of his own that day and the runner-up went on and won the Grade One Marsh Chase at Aintree, so the form has a particularly strong look to it.

Similarly, people forget that he was still in with a chance in the RSA Novice Chase in 2020, won by Champ, with last year’s Gold Cup winner Minello Indo back in second, and whichever way you look at his form it is rock solid.

He was also third in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle to Minella Indo and his record at the Cheltenham Festival is pretty immaculate. Now they have found what looks his ideal trip in the Ryanair Chase and it is going to take something special indeed to lower his colours.

Strengths – He is very good at Cheltenham and he has the strongest form on view.

Weak spot – There isn’t a weak spot.

Shan Blue

Shan Blue is a very interesting contender for the Ryanair as it looked like he was going to win the Charlie Hall Chase, and win comfortably, when coming down three out.

However, he was a well-beaten fifth to Chantry House in the Marsh Novices’ Chase last year and, as you know, I am a great stickler for proven Cheltenham form, and that is a concern if you are a Shan Blue fan.

The form of the Charlie Hall has taken a bit of a knock, but there is no doubting that he was a mile clear and would have been an impressive winner if he had stood up.

There was just a communication error between rider and horse that day and he ended up on the floor, but he has shown in the past that he is a brilliant jumper.

When he won the Kauto Star Novices’ at Kempton in 2020 his fencing was breathtaking at times and he travelled well through the race. However, for whatever reason, he hasn’t been able to match that performance since.

Strengths – He is a strong traveller in a race and normally a very sound jumper.

Weak spot – He has yet to prove himself at Cheltenham.

Saint Calvados

I like Saint Calvados a lot and the Ryanair looks the race for him to go for. He shot his bolt in the King George when he looked to be going as well as anything and the extended two-and-a-half-mile trip in the Ryanair looks perfect for him.

You have to remember that he was beaten only a neck by Min in the race in 2020, with A Plus Tard a length-and-a-half back in third, and if you bring that form to the game then he has to be bang there with a chance.

That was a very good run and he looked like he was back to that sort of form at Kempton. I think he is a player, and at current odds of around 8/1 he looks a cracking each-way bet.

He doesn’t look to me like an out-and-out stayer and this looks the right race for him at the Festival.

Strengths – His run in the Ryanair pitches him right there in the firing line.

Weak spot – He hasn’t many miles on the clock of late.

Eldorado Allen

Eldorado Allen won the Denman Chase over three miles at Newbury last weekend on decent ground and it looked like the step up in trip really suited him. He jumped brilliantly at Newbury too, but looks equally effective over this two-and-a-half-mile trip and has done little wrong this season.

He won the Haldon Gold Cup from Hitman first time out over two-miles-and-a-furlong, was a solid third to First Flow in the Peterborough Chase and was second to Mister Fisher in the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton, but I prefer him to Mister Fisher in the Ryanair for the simple reason that he is a far more gutsy individual.

He was second to Shishkin in the Arkle Chase last year and we now know that form is very, very good, and he was running on well in the closing stages.

He has run well at Cheltenham in the past and stepping up to this trip in the Ryanair looks a logical conclusion for connections. The Colin Tizzard team are in great form, and I can see him going very well.

Strengths – The winner of the Denman Chase and second at last year’s Festival to Shishkin.

Weak spot – Is he good enough to win?