2024 Ryanair Chase Form: All the latest form for the Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 event

See all the latest form pointers and guides for the 2024 Ryanair Chase, which takes place at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday 14th March, 2024 and it's set to be a hugely entertaining renewal of the Grade 1 contest on day three of the meeting. A stellar field of runners will line up at the 2m 5f start for this contest which was won last year by Envoi Allen. We also have all the latest Ryanair Chase odds available here for what will be one of the most hotly-anticipated races of the entire four-day National Hunt extravaganza...

How The 2023 Ryanair Chase Was Won

With 2021 and 2022 winner Allaho missing the 2023 Ryanair Chase through injury, there was a wide open look to the contest with nine runners going to post with Nicky Henderson's former Supreme and Arkle hero Shishkin going off the red-hot Evens favourite. However, the Seven Barrows inmate had to settle for the silver medal as the Henry De Bromhead-trained Envoi Allen produced another sparkling Cheltenham Festival performance to land the prize with aplomb.

A former winner of the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle back in 2020, Envoi Allen rolled back the years as he produced a brilliant performance to claim this coveted contest, as he beat Shishkin by two-and-three-quarters of a length. Travelling smoothly down the hill for Rachael Blackmore, the nine-year-old kicked to the front and pulled clear of the likes of Hitman and French Dynamite, who looked the biggest dangers. Shishkin had been sticky with his jumping for most of the race, but he was doing all his best work in the closing stages and was able to get past Hitman and French Dynamite, but he was unable to reel in Envoi Allen, who was a fine winner of the race at 13/2.

October Form Pointers

A faller in the 2022 Ryanair Chase, Gordon Elliott's Conflated then stepped up in trip at last season's festival and was an excellent third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the Cullentra House nine-year-old failed to fire on his comeback run in October when he was a well beaten fifth of five in the Irish Daily Star - Best For Racing Coverage Chase at Punchestown. Taking on former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo and stablemate Galvin, Conflated struggled to play any notable role in the finish and was over 15 lengths behind the winner, Minella Indo, that day. Elliott could well send him down the Gold Cup route again, or even the Cross Country Chase, but if he is to drop back to the Ryanair Chase trip he's certainly a lively outsider.

November Form Pointers

It goes to show the strength of his 2021 and 2022 wins in this race that despite a huge lay-off, Allaho still started the season as ante-post favourite ahead of last year's winner in the same colours Envoi Allen. Excitement grew as Willie Mullins reported the two time champ was back in rude health and he has now been slashed again into as short as 5/2 for a third Ryanair win after re-emerging from a 651 day lay-off to take the Clonmel Oil Chase in commanding style beating Janidil impressively.

Reigning champion Envoi Allen stepped up to three miles for the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal and the De Bromhead star was just outstayed by the Cheltenham Gold Cup contender Gerri Colombe, who got the better of Envoi Allen by a neck. Just edging out Conflated in a thrilling finish, Envoi Allen showed that below three miles is his best trip and this was certainly a promising trial for the Ryanair.

Some notable clues came from Cheltenham's November Meeting as firstly the Paul Nicholls-trained Stage Star defied an almighty blunder at the last fence in the Paddy Power Gold Cup to land that notable handicap chase and last year's impressive Turners' Novices' Chase winner is set to be aimed at the Ryanair over 2m 5f and with such a fine record at Cheltenham has to be a huge player.

The following day, Nicky Henderson's Jonbon cruised to glory in the Grade 2 Shloer Chase and while he's likely to be kept down the two-mile route and have a crack at El Fabiolo in the Queen Mother Champion Chase the Seven Barrows will be a huge Ryanair contender, if the team elect to send him over the longer trip. Alan King's Edwardstone was well beaten that day, so he's one that eased in the Ryanair Chase, but on his day he's a class act.

There was a fabulous renewal of the John Durkan at Punchestown at the end of November and while Fastorslow got the plaudits for downing Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs, in behind there was a fine run from Appreciate It, who was just edged out by Fastorslow in an epic finish. Jumping smoothly throughout, Appreciate It is one that won't be Gold Cup bound like the winner, but he could be tailor-made for a crack at the Ryanair and he could be another star shot fired by the Mullins team.