Ryanair Chase Tips

Get our Ryanair Chase tips below for the second of the Championship races on Thursday at Cheltenham Festival.

Plus the latest odds, a runner by runner preview of the race, all the best free bets and offers, and more...

The Ryanair Chase 2027 will be run on Thursday, March 18th.

Our tips for the race will be posted closer to the time.

Check back through the jumps season for the latest Ryanair Chase 2027 antepost odds.

Stats and trends can be used to narrow down the field in this year’s Ryanair Chase. Some of the key pointers can be found below:

• Aged 7-9 (12/12) ✅
• Avoid Last Time Out Winners (4/12) ❌
• Respect Horses With Cheltenham Experience (12/12) ✅
• Horse Rated 162+ (11/12) ✅
• Horses With 4+ Wins Over Fences (10/12) ✅

Trends are calculated up to and including the 2025 race.

We've collected the best Ryanair Chase free bets, enhanced customer offers, extra places, money back specials, and more below.

Updated daily throughout Cheltenham Festival.

Tuesday - Champion Hurdle Tips

Wednesday - Champion Chase Tips

Thursday - Stayers Hurdle Tips & Ryanair Chase Tips

Friday - Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips

After just one winning favourite on Wednesday, and none in the first three of the day, Fact To File was the punters pick in the betting ring to get one back at the bookmakers.

There was also money around for the French horse and King George runner up Il Est Francais, and for old boy and 2024 winner Protektorat, who were sent off as 10/3 second favourite and 5/1 third favourite respectively.

The running was initially picked up by Jungle Boogie, with the three horses at the top of the market pulling slightly clear of the rest of the pack in an effort to stay out of trouble.

Il Est Francais came through on the final lap to take up the running. Pushing the pace, the race became increasingly strung out, with both Hang In There and Jungle Boogie making jumping mistakes at the 11th before dropping away.

The downhill run towards the final bend saw the race quickly develop into a head to head battle between Il Est Francais and Fact To File, who was still travelling extremely strongly.

Favourite backers didn't have long to worry; a burst of pace coming off the final bend saw him pull clear, and a superb jump at the penultimate fence effectively put the race to bed. He cruised cross the line a huge 9 lengths clear.

Il Est Francais faded after two out and it was Heart Wood who came through to pick up second, with Envoi Allen staying on for a distant third and the last of the places.

Fact To File

Easy winner of this contest last year, and now rated 6lb above his nearest rival. Faces a much depleted field with many opting for Gold Cup instead. Looked right at this best in February over further, and will be perfectly suited by both going and trip. Loves Cheltenham and has won twice here on three starts (finished second on the other).

Banbridge

A surprise entry, but the second best rated in the field and has an excellent opportunity for some competitive prize money. Sent off just 13/2 for the Gold Cup year but made jumping mistakes. Bounced back to form last time out having struggled the last twice but jumping could well let him down over this distance.

Impaire Et Passe

Top class hurdler who is still unexposed over fences. Only one run this season. Won the Aintree Manifesto Novices' Chase last April and a victor on his only start at Cheltenham (the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle in 2023) but a lot to find on ratings and may need another year of experience.

Jonbon

A legend of the game even at ten years old, he's bounced back to form in his last three runs and his second behind Il Etait Temps was franked in the Champion Chase. Doesn't have the same turn of speed he used to and vulnerable at the bottom of the hill to losing touch.

Heart Wood

Has mixed form in the last two seasons, but finished second in this race last year (albeit 9 lengths behind Fact To File). Put in his best performance of the year last time out in January, but that was just a Grade 3 and this is a much hotter race.

JPR One

Another stepping up in class. He won a handicap off 156 last time out so deserves his place here, but was beaten 10 lengths by Jonbon when they last met, and was well beaten in a handicap off 156 here last year. Some hope the extra distance will help but needs to find a lot.

Matata

Had been in progressive form through the winter, dominating a good field to win a Grade 3 Handicap here over course and distance on New Year's Day. However, struggled in better company and made jumping mistakes at Windsor when last seen, finishing a distant last, and a lot to find on form.

Croke Park

One of the two big outsiders of the field and, with an official mark of 150, the lowest rated in the field. Beaten double digit lengths in his last 5 starts, will be hoping to pick up some places late on.

Master Chewy

The other big outsider of the field. Has two solid seconds in Grade 2s to his name this season but otherwise has struggled, finishing well beaten on his other 3 starts. Those include a 39l defeat to The Jukebox Man and a 53 length defeat to Jango Baie.

As mentioned already, the Ryanair Chase for 2026 is one of the most difficult races to judge in the antepost market due to the sheer quantity of unknowns.

Our tipsters will wait until the final declarations 48 hours before the race before making a firm decision on who to tip, unless they see significant antepost value in the build up.

Once the final field is known, they will take their usual approach of:

• Reviewing and rewatching all runs for the race runners
• Analysing ground conditions and their impact
• Considering pace angles with the finalised field
• Watching market movers
• Reading trainer quotes, stable tours, and so on

Using all this information, plus their experience and tipping knowledge, they will pick out our Ryanair Chase tip and post it on this page. They'll also provide a full writeup, so you can see their reasoning and considerations on not just our selection but all the runners in the race.