Date: Thursday 13th March 2025
The Ryanair Chase trends continue to be some of the strongest of the whole Festival and once again they point us towards a very specific sort of horse.
You want a horse aged in the 7 to 9 range, already proven over an intermediate trip, ideally with previous Cheltenham form and a top-two finish in one of its last couple of starts. The market often has a pretty good handle on this race as well, especially when a horse arrives with the right profile.
These are the three that come out best on the Turf Talk figures.
TURF TALK RATINGS - LEADING CONTENDERS
| Horse | Turf Talk Rating |
|---|---|
| Fact To File | 226 |
| Il Est Francais | 214 |
| Gaelic Warrior | 206 |
| Protektorat | 193 |
| Heart Wood | 186 |
| Envoi Allen | 177 |
| Djelo | 169 |
The ratings this year put huge weight on age, intermediate-distance form, Grade 1 class and whether the horse is arriving off the back of a strong recent run. Those have been the defining Ryanair factors in the modern era.
MAIN SELECTION
Fact To File (6/4 available)
He comes out clear on the ratings and looks to have a perfect Ryanair profile.
He has the age, the Grade 1 class and the right blend of pace and stamina for this intermediate test. He also comes from the dominant Ryanair yard and looks the type this race has increasingly been built for.
BACKUP SELECTION 1
Il Est Francais (7/2 available)
The obvious danger on raw ability and a horse with huge talent.
He has the class and the pace to be a major factor, and if he settles into a rhythm he could take a lot of passing. He does not quite fit the race profile as neatly as the main selection, but still makes huge appeal.
BACKUP SELECTION 2
Gaelic Warrior (5/1 available)
Another classy Irish contender who fits enough of the strongest trends to make the shortlist.
He has the age and the raw ability, and the yard factor is a major plus in this race. He may not look quite as tailor-made for the Ryanair as the top pick, but he still makes plenty of sense.
SUMMARY
Fact To File tops the ratings and is taken as the main selection, with Il Est Francais the biggest danger and Gaelic Warrior another very strong alternative in a race where the modern Irish-trained intermediate specialist continues to dominate.
