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14:50 Cheltenham

Thursday 16 March 2017

All13:3014:1014:5015:3016:1016:5017:30

Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) (Registered As The Festival Trophy)

Off time: 14:50 | Winning time: 5m 9.6s

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Selected odds by:

Alary^t³²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: T J O'Brien| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 160

33/1

Came from France with a big reputation having won twice in his native country and has run some sound races in Graded chases. So far has not completed the course since his move to his current trainer, pulling-up on his debut when given a stiff task in a handicap and then falling in a small field conditions event. Ought to be able to do better but this once again looks a stiff task.

Form: 3632PF

Aso^p¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 152

40/1

Smart handicapper who ran his best race this year when winning at Chepstow in late December and has also shown some good form in handicaps around Cheltenham. Not quite in the same form since but was given a lot to do and finished well on his latest start at Kempton Park. Even a repetition of his best form would leave him short of having the class in an event like this.

Form: 3561-42

Empire Of Dirt^t³²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: B J Cooper| T: G Elliott| OR: 162

11/4

Winner of last year's Brown Advisory Handicap at the Festival and shows up here having been a live ante-post contender for the Gold Cup. Unlikely this trip will prove much of an inconvenience and proven on the ground so he may be staying on best up the hill for connections who have had a flying start to the Festival.

Form: F/F2P11-

Josses Hill^p⁸⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 158

9/1

Has been very slow to learn how to jump properly over fences and that hampered his progress. He made no show in this race last season. He looks to have become more fluent over his fences this year though so perhaps the penny is starting to drop, with his best run of the season coming in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon which he won by 6L. He's not been seen now since finishing last of five in the King George stepped up to 3m although he was only beaten 7L. His jumping remains a slight worry, as does the return to a left-handed track as he does seem better going the other way around.

Form: 8-11557

Sub Lieutenant^t⁵⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: D J Mullins| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 162

8/1

Winner of a Grade 3 novice chase last year he's carried on improving this year with wins at Limerick and Down Royal, the latter in Grade 2 company. In that contest he beat the subsequent Lexus Chase winner Outlander to show his credentials as a high-class chaser. He's suffered defeats on his last two starts but those reverses have come at the hands of two decent performers and he wasn't disgraced at all. His best form is very much over this sort of trip and if he reproduces his Down Royal form he would be of interest.

Form: 311322

Un De Sceaux⁴⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 169

7/4

The likely market leader who has twice run at the Festival over 2m winning the Arkle on the first occasion and then taking the runner-up slot behind a resurgent Sprinter Sacre in last year's Champion Chase. Now moves up in trip so as to avoid a head-to-head with stablemate Douvan in the Champion Chase. Both his trips to Britain this season have been successful with wins here at Cheltenham in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase and at Sandown for the Tingle Creek. The former of the two was the more impressive but there still remains the fact that he can make the odd mistake and is going up in trip so if he races too freely that could make him vulnerable in the closing stages.

Form: 2-16111

Uxizandre^p⁴⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King| OR: 162

6/1

Returned from a long break from injury with a very likeable performance when chasing home Un De Sceaux over 2m here on Trials Day. That marked his first run since he took this race in 2015 beating 13 rivals that included subsequent Gold Cup winner Don Cossack. He's always look a horse that blossoms at this time of the year and his Cheltenham form reads 2112. His best chase form has all come left-handed and, if he can build on that last run, he will be a threat to all here on a course that he clearly loves and over a trip that suits him well.

Form: 18U1/27

Vaniteux⁶¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: N D Fehily| T: N J Henderson| OR: 154

14/1

Consistent chaser who has only once failed to complete over fences in seven attempts but that was at Cheltenham in last year's Arkle. Returned this year with two solid starts in handicaps at Ascot and here over 2m. Won last time out at Kempton Park over 2m4f, his first try beyond the minimum over fences. That was a fairly easy opportunity and he faces a much stiffer task in this with work to do at these weights.

Form: 3-33181

Forecasts

Un De Sceaux (7/4), Empire Of Dirt (11/4), Uxizandre (6/1), Sub Lieutenant (8/1), Josses Hill (9/1), Vaniteux (14/1), Alary (33/1), Aso (40/1)

A race that now doesn’t look as deep as it was once going to be but it’s still an interesting renewal with Un De Sceaux stepping up in trip as he bids to go one better than his runner-up slot over 2m at the Festival last year. He has won over this trip but that form came over hurdles in France and his exuberant jumping isn’t always bombproof. EMPIRE OF DIRT had a choice of engagements at the Festival with connections finally deciding to come here and this strong travelling sort may well find the 2m5f trip ideal for him. Former winner of the race Uxizandre was beaten by Un De Sceaux last time out when returning from a long absence and a return to this distance gives him a good chance of reversing that form. Both Josses Hill and Sub Lieutenant add to the depth of the race, with the former looking as though he has got his act together over fences this season and the latter worthy of another chance in this grade over a trip that suits.