Ryanair Chase 2022 Entries: Allaho heads 36 horses entered for Grade 1
Reigning Ryanair Chase hero Allaho features among 36 horses entered for the 2022 renewal on day three of the Cheltenham Festival, but there's no place for former champion Frodon, who doesn't take his place in the list of potential runners...
A runaway 12-length winner of the Ryanair Chase at last season's Cheltenham Festival, Allaho is all set to try and retain his crown on day three of the festival on March 17, as Henry De Bromhead's star features in the entry list released on Tuesday afternoon. A mightily impressive winner of the John Durkan Memorial Steeplechase earlier in the season at Punchestown, Allaho has been handed a host of options for the festival, as he among the list of names in the Cheltenham Gold Cup entries and Queen Mother Champion Chase entries, but the red-hot Ryanair Chase favourite is most likely to feature in the 2m 5f Grade 1.
Joseph O'Brien's Fakir D'Oudairies chased home Allaho in last season's Ryanair Chase, and the JP McManus-owned raider is all set for another crack at the Cheveley Park Stud-owned raider and he sits second in the betting, at the time of writing. There are a number of horses entered for the Ryanair Chase that have entries in either the Cheltenham Gold Cup or Champion Chase with the likes of A Plus Tard (Cheltenham Gold Cup) and Energumene (Champion Chase) both standout names, but neither are likely to run in the Ryanair.
So, it's worth focusing on those horses that could take their chance and a fascinating entry is Envoi Allen, who suffered a shock defeat in the Marsh Novices' Chase at last season's Cheltenham Festival, but the former Ballymore Novices' Hurdle winner has shown he can deliver over fences, when at his best, so he is an eye-catching contender at double-figured odds.
Paul Nicholls hasn't entered former champion Frodon in this year's race, and his challenge could be spearheaded by Saint Calvados, who was last seen finishing a fine third in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, while Hitman and former Cheltenham Festival winner Simply The Betts could be another brace of shots fired by the Ditcheat gun.
Other notable entries include a number of Willie Mullins-trained entries with King George VI Chase hero Tornado Flyer and the classy Janidil just a couple of eye-catching potential contenders. Dan Skelton's Shan Blue, Venetia Williams's Funambule Sivola and Fanion D'Estruval are three leading players for the British brigade, with Colin Tizzard's Lostintranslation another one of note.