• HELP US - Become a Patron - Fat Jockey is a horse racing community focused on all the big races in the UK and Ireland. We don't charge users but if you have found the site useful then any support towards the running costs is appreciated ... a small donation each month would be a huge contribution. Become a Patron!

2024 Ryanair Chase

ComplyOrDie said:
OK, on official ratings, he should be though, even if Appreciate It winning this then the Ryanair would be fantastic.

Hopefully Allaho just doesn't turn up.
Click to expand...

Haha, I just wanted to get the pun in.

I thought it looked a decent field though rather than the walkover you'd said.

Allaho's level of form is still decent but he's not untouchable. Long time since he was superb IMO, KG was only 'good'
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lobos and ComplyOrDie
Banbridge could head straight for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival following his successful reappearance at Kempton.

Joseph O’Brien’s charge proved his worth at the highest level as a novice over fences last term, placing in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse and the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown before enjoying his day in the sun in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree in the spring.

Banbridge made his first competitive appearance in nine months in last weekend’s Silviniaco Conti Chase, and O’Brien believes his defeat of the race-fit Pic D’Orhy is clear evidence the eight-year-old has improved since last season.

He said: “It was a lovely ride from J J (Slevin) and a lovely performance from the horse. It was a career-best on figures and we’re looking forward to the spring with him.

“You’re always hoping they might put up a nice performance on their reappearance and he has been delayed a couple of times so he was a little bit rusty, particularly in the straight jumping the second- and third-last, but he got a good jump at the last and went and won nicely.

“It’s one thing being a Grade One novice, but it’s another jump up to hold your own in open company. It looks as though he might be able to do that in the spring.”

Banbridge is a 5-1 shot with Paddy Power for the Ryanair Chase, and while he will be aimed for Cheltenham, O’Brien hinted he could look elsewhere should testing conditions prevail in the Cotswolds, adding: “The programme will map itself out and the Ryanair is the obvious next spot for him, but we’ll be watching the weather.”
​
 
Ash tree meadow is surely being overlooked for this race?
He is higher rated than stablemate fil dor who Is half the best odds at 33's
He's higher rated than appreciate it who is best odds 14/1
He won the Galway plate, look where 2022's winner is now.
He was improving rapidly, before a well earned break.
Comparing his runs in 2022 with 2023 and it's clear the type of horse Gordon considers him now 10 runs compared with 4 I think.
He'll be back with some big spring targets, and I think the Ryanair will be one of those.
 
AaronLad said:
Ash tree meadow is surely being overlooked for this race?
He is higher rated than stablemate fil dor who Is half the best odds at 33's
He's higher rated than appreciate it who is best odds 14/1
He won the Galway plate, look where 2022's winner is now.
He was improving rapidly, before a well earned break.
Comparing his runs in 2022 with 2023 and it's clear the type of horse Gordon considers him now 10 runs compared with 4 I think.
He'll be back with some big spring targets, and I think the Ryanair will be one of those.
Click to expand...

This is why I'm not the biggest fan of ratings, racing all a out the eye test imo. If it was a handicap you'd be thinking wtf is going on if Appreciate It was being given weight against Ash Tree Meadow, not to say he isn't a good horse but probably one of those who runs in all the big handicaps like the galway plate, Irish National, Thyeste ect
 
Zachx02 said:
This is why I'm not the biggest fan of ratings, racing all a out the eye test imo. If it was a handicap you'd be thinking wtf is going on if Appreciate It was being given weight against Ash Tree Meadow, not to say he isn't a good horse but probably one of those who runs in all the big handicaps like the galway plate, Irish National, Thyeste ect
Click to expand...

I'm not sure he'd have taken such a break if handicaps were the future plans, a couple of mediocre runs to get some lbs off would have more than likely been on the agenda.
I've noticed the way Gordon has spoken about him, he's surprised him.
He's been home to his owners while all the others have been at it.
I think he might also surprise you by the end of this season :encouragement:
 
What a line up at Thurles for the Horse and Jockey!!

Envoi v Allaho v Appreciate it v Statler v Capodanno v French Dynamite.
 
Last edited:
Given how modest envoi allen is away from down royal and Cheltenham allaho will have to have regressed a lot not to win

Must be a reasonable chance he runs no kind of race running so soon after the king george though
 
Have you backed anything at all for the Festival FF? I've not heard you say a positive word about any horse ! :excitement:
 
Lobos said:
Have you backed anything at all for the Festival FF? I've not heard you say a positive word about any horse ! :excitement:
Click to expand...

Iv backed both envoi and allaho

I try to be realistic with my expectations of my selections

I'd forgive envoi an average run for instance, he seems to save his best for down royal and Cheltenham these days

And allaho is backing up quickly after having a very hard race when not staying in the King george.

Hopefully allaho wins, as iv said before hes my favourite horse in training.
 
Good to hear. I wasn't just talking about the Ryanair by the way.
 
Lobos said:
Good to hear. I wasn't just talking about the Ryanair by the way.
Click to expand...

Surely we should all be looking for negatives in horses to stop us wasting money

No point handing it over on horses with big doubts about them at poor prices
 
Allaho declared then with PT up top. They have campaigned him weirdly this season. They said they'd go easy with him after his injury with one target in mind, then went KG and now race less than a month later. I really hope we see him at his best and he demolishes this field, that would make me very happy indeed but its hope not expectation.
 
FinalFurlong91 said:
Surely we should all be looking for negatives in horses to stop us wasting money

No point handing it over on horses with big doubts about them at poor prices
Click to expand...

Yes, sort of, although we could all probably find negatives in everything we back if we look hard enough or others could point out negatives for us ! :glee:
 
charlie said:
Allaho declared then with PT up top. They have campaigned him weirdly this season. They said they'd go easy with him after his injury with one target in mind, then went KG and now race less than a month later. I really hope we see him at his best and he demolishes this field, that would make me very happy indeed but its hope not expectation.
Click to expand...

I feel so incredibly lukewarm on Allaho.

Maybe it's because he's no price and hasn't really been (did mention at 6/1 a while back of course), unless you believe he's still a star and would smash him at evens on the day etc

I dunno, I won't be annoyed if he wins or loses right now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: opatcho
Kevloaf said:
I feel so incredibly lukewarm on Allaho.

Maybe it's because he's no price and hasn't really been (did mention at 6/1 a while back of course), unless you believe he's still a star and would smash him at evens on the day etc

I dunno, I won't be annoyed if he wins or loses right now.
Click to expand...

Thats fair. What would he have to do on Sunday to take you from lukewarm to red hot? I mean, if he came out and blitzed them hard held like prime Allaho I suppose that would do it.
 
Kevloaf said:
I feel so incredibly lukewarm on Allaho.

Maybe it's because he's no price and hasn't really been (did mention at 6/1 a while back of course), unless you believe he's still a star and would smash him at evens on the day etc

I dunno, I won't be annoyed if he wins or loses right now.
Click to expand...

I agree, what's unusual about this years Ryanair is there might be one or two credible challengers so if he isn't at 2022 levels he looks vulnerable.
Probably best to hope he scoots home and gets an inflated rating for it then pounce on the value elsewhere....
 
Surely if Appreciate It has any chance in March he'd wanna be winning getting weight from the big two.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Eudipe
Aye, my first thought on the race was shame there's not a couple of no hopers in there as Appreciate It each way with 3 places would look a very nice option on Sunday.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Faugheen_Machine
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom