George hoping Module can fly high in Ryanair

Trainer Tom George has revealed that his star chaser Module will be stepped up in trip at the Cheltenham Festival for a crack at the Ryanair Chase on Thursday, March 12th, and Coral make the classy gelding a 25/1 shot for the 2m 5f contest.

The eight-year-old has been well beaten in two starts this season over 2m and George believes that he is no longer effective over the trip – despite showing top class form over it last year.

Module beat Dodging Bullets by a neck in the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase at Newbury 12 months ago, and the runner-up is the in-form two-miler this term having landed back-to-back Grade 1 contests in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown and Ascot’s Clarence House Chase where he beat Sprinter Sacre.

The son of Panoramic backed that up with a cracking third to Sire De Grugy in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at last year’s Festival, where after getting outpaced three from he rallied strongly and finished with a rattle to be beaten 6 1/4 lengths.

If Module can rediscover that level of form he would be an interesting contender in the Ryanair, and his handler is adamant that he will have him spot of for the Festival.

If that proves to be the case then Module could be a lively outsider given that his current rating of 162 is just 5lb below that of last year’s winner and current joint ante-post favourite Dynaste (4/1) and 4lb lower than leading Irish hope Don Cossack who shares favouritism with David Pipe’s grey.