Cheltenham Tips: 2026 Ryanair Chase Preview and Best Bet on Thursday

The Ryanair Chase is one of the standout contests on day three of the Cheltenham Festival and the Grade 1 feature over two miles and five furlongs regularly attracts a deep and competitive field. First run in 2005, the race has quickly established itself as a championship event for the intermediate chasing division, producing memorable winners and dramatic renewals in recent years. You can check the latest runners, odds and race history on our Ryanair Chase page.

Looking ahead to the 2026 renewal, the ante-post market is already taking shape and several high-class contenders look set to clash in what promises to be another fascinating edition of the Festival feature. With the Cheltenham Festival fast approaching, Billy Grimshaw has taken a closer look at the likely runners and picked out his early selection for the race.

Ask anyone for their three most impressive winners at the 2025 Festival and FACT TO FILE in the Ryanair Chase is certain to be in the trio. For most people, including this humble scribe, his was the most visually stunning performance of the week and with the 2026 renewal - on paper at least - looking a weaker affair, it would be folly to attempt to take him on. Nobody gets rich backing 4/7 shots, but the odds actually look more than fair given the body of work this brilliant chaser has behind him.

That success twelve months ago was the moment Fact To File truly announced himself as a top-class chaser. Settled beautifully before travelling powerfully through the race, he produced a devastating turn of foot after the final fence to settle the contest in a matter of strides. It was the performance of a horse operating a notch above his rivals and, crucially for this race, it showed just how well he handles the unique demands of Cheltenham.

Since then his profile has only strengthened. Willie Mullins has always spoken about him as one of the most naturally talented horses in his powerful stable and his blend of cruising speed and accurate jumping makes him perfectly suited to the Ryanair trip. The intermediate distance looks absolutely ideal, allowing him to use that potent combination of stamina and class without ever appearing stretched.

Of course, his participation here means he cannot take on the challenge of the Cheltenham Gold Cup 24 hours later, which is a shame given his romp in the Irish Gold Cup last time out was his best over three miles. All racing fans would, I'd wager, prefer to see him in that race rather than this but we must play the hand we are dealt and I at least hope we see another performance that takes the breath away come Thursday afternoon by the JP owned star.

Looking through the likely opposition, there are plenty of talented chasers in the mix but few who bring the same level of proven Cheltenham form to the table as Fact To File. In races like the Ryanair Chase that experience of the Festival cauldron can count for plenty, and last year’s winner already knows exactly what is required to dominate around this demanding track.

Banbridge is one who will have his supporters and it would be no surprise to see him run with credit. Joseph O’Brien’s charge has plenty of class and his King George second earlier in the season showed he can still mix it with top-level company. However, Cheltenham has never really been his happiest hunting ground and with the weather forecast worsening for Thursday and his need for good ground, his participation could yet be in jeopardy.

There is also the possibility that Jonbon could take his chance here rather than skipping the Festival for Aintree. He is undoubtedly one of the most talented two-mile chasers in training and his record speaks for itself, but stepping up to two and a half miles at Cheltenham - a track he has never fully convinced at - is an entirely different examination. His best trip may now well be this intermediate one, but given he carries the same colours as the favourite it would seem unlikely we see him here.

Protektorat also commands respect given he has won this race before off the front and likes it around Cheltenham. However, he is now firmly into the latter stages of his career and would almost certainly need to produce a career-best effort to beat a rival who appears to be operating right at the peak of his powers. His win last time at long odds-on was not without hiccups, either.

Put simply, most of the opposition arrive with a question mark attached. Fact To File, by contrast, arrives with the perfect profile for this race and already has the most important piece of evidence in his favour: a dominant Ryanair Chase victory on this very stage.