Don Cossack new fav for Ryanair as Dynaste ruled out

Don Cossack is Coral’s new 7/2 favourite for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday, March 12th, following the news that last year’s winner Dynaste has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a leg injury.

Trainer David Pipe revealed today that the grey strained a leg following his run at the track last month when finishing a close up third behind Many Clouds on Festival Trials Day.

The Pond House handler said the nine-year-old had been very sore after the contest and failed to make a sufficient recovery in time to defend his crown in at Presbury Park.

He added that the injury was nothing serious but Dynaste was “too good to risk” and would hopefully be back in action next autumn.

Dynaste had been Coral’s 4/1 joint-favourite for the 2m 5f contest, and his defection has resulted in Don Cossack being clipped into 7/2 clear favourite (from 4s) to give Ireland their first winner of the race since into added to the Festival programme in 2005.

The Gordon Elliott trained eight-year-old has won his last four starts in good style and was most impressive when beating Boston Bob by four lengths in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.

The strapping gelding then looked to have the measure of Champagne Fever when that one came to grief at the final fence in a Grade 2 contest at Thurles last time out and boasts a rock solid and progressive profile which suggests he is a worthy new favourite for the Ryanair.

Cue Card, a former winner of the contest having scored in terrific style by nine lengths in 2013, is now 7/1 second favourite (from 8s), with Champagne Fever and Johns Spirt next in the betting at unchanged prices of 8/1 and 10/1 respectively.