THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE

RYANAIR
CHASE
Vautour ridden by jockey Ruby Walsh
THE RYANAIR CHASE IS THE NEWEST
OF THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP
RACES AT THE FESTIVAL, HAVING
BEEN INTRODUCED IN 2005 WHEN
THE FESTIVAL EXPANDED TO FOUR
DAYS FROM THREE.
There had long been a need for a top
contest for chasers between the two
miles of the Betway Queen Mother
Champion Chase and the extended
three and a quarter miles of the Timico
Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Ryanair Chase replaced, over
about two miles and five furlongs,
the Cathcart Chase, with the race
conditions changing significantly; being
open to all horses rather than restricted
to just first and second season chasers.
The races takes place on St Patrick’s
Thursday and is the third race of the
day at 2.50pm, with prize money of
£300,000 offered in 2017.
The first three runnings were at Grade
Two level before an upgrade to its
current Grade One status in 2008.
The Daily Telegraph backed the
inaugural contest, with Irish airline
Ryanair taking over the sponsorship
from 2006.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s chief
executive, has thrice owned the runnerup
- Mossbank (2008), First Lieutenant
(2013) and Valseur Lido (2016)
(statistics before the 2017 renewal).
Albertas Run, owned by Trevor
Hemmings and trained by Jonjo O’Neill,
is the only two-time winner of the race.
He was successful in both 2010 and
2011, and also finished runner-up in
2012 when beaten by Riverside Theatre.
He ran at The Festival a total of seven
times and also won the RSA Novices’
Chase in 2008,
Three other trainers, Paul Nicholls
(2005 Thisthatandtother, 2007 Taranis),
Nicky Henderson (2006 Fondmort,
2012 Riverside Theatre) and David
Pipe (2008 Our Vic, 2014 Dynaste),
have each enjoyed two winners, while
Dynaste is the only grey to have won
the Ryanair Chase.
Sir A P McCoy and Ruby Walsh are the
most successful jockeys in the race’s
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