14.40 Cheltenham: Dynaste ready for take-off in Ryanair

This year’s renewal of the Ryanair Chase doesn’t look the strongest on paper, and Dynaste appears to have an outstanding chance of landing the spoils.

David Pipe’s grey has always had a touch of class and developed into a very smart novice chaser last season.

He won on his chasing debut over course and distance when jumping well and quickening clear to beat Fingal Bay by 4 1/2 lengths, and after romping home in the Grade 1 Feltham at Kempton, finished an excellent runner-up to Benefficient in the 2m 4f Jewson Novices’ Chase at last year’s Festival.

The eight-year-old then rounded off his season in fine style at Aintree when coasting home in a Grade 2 contest by six lengths, and looked better than ever on his first run this season when chasing home Cue Card in the Betfair Chase at Haydock where he had the likes of Silviniaco Conti, Tidal Bay and Bobs Worth behind.

He did then disappoint when finishing a well-beaten fifth to Silviniaco Conti in the King George, when last seen in action, but that was clearly not his running and it later transpired that he had injured his back.

His handler now reports him to be in tip-top shape, and five of the last nine winners of the Ryanair had run in the King George.

That includes beaten horses, and Cue Card finished fifth in the King George before scooting home in last year’s contest.

That augurs well for Dynaste and the fact that he also has previous Cheltenham form is another major plus, as 14 of the last 17 winners had won at the track before going on to land the Ryanair.

The main danger looks to be Tony Martin’s Benefficient, who beat him in last year’s Jewson.

The eight-year-old bounced back to form when beating Hidden Cyclone in a Grade 1 contest at Leopardstown on his latest start.

That looked a strong contest and his handler is sure to have him tuned to the minute to try to make it back-to-back wins at the Festival.

However, he is officially rated 12lb inferior to Dynaste and that suggests that Pipe’s charge will have his measure this time round.