Ryanair Chase betting: Shishkin favourite for Cheltenham hat-trick

“He goes there in good shape, Nico (de Boinville) has been very happy with him, but Willie (Mullins) has a strong team and he’ll have to earn it. Nothing comes easy at Cheltenham.”

Shishkin takes on eight rivals in the two-mile-five-furlong contest and in what looks a stern examination, Blue Lord is second at 6/1 in the Ryanair Chase betting and spearheads a Closutton assault that also comprises Chacun Pour Soi and Janidil.

Blue Lord has similarly has done much of his racing over shorter trips and bids to give Mullins a fourth successive victory in the race.

A dual Grade One-winning novice, Blue Lord won at Clonmel on his seasonal return and followed up in a Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas, but he was upset when long odds-on by Gentleman De Mee at the same track last month.

Closutton maestro @WillieMullinsNH becomes the winning-most trainer in the @ClonmelR Oil Chase with Blue Lord leading home a 1-2 for Mullins, seeing off stable companion & King George hero Tornado Flyer 🏇@PTownend | @simon_munir pic.twitter.com/O97yVgo1Hr

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 17, 2022

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, said: “He has done most of his racing at two miles, but has always looked like he would improve for a longer trip.

“He has a bit to take on with the hot favourite. Although he has only run once over this sort of trip, when winning at Clonmel in soft ground, he is a horse who has been crying out for a longer trip and now he seems to settle a bit better, it always seemed the right idea to go for the Ryanair as opposed to the Champion Chase.

“He does have a very hot favourite to take on, but he takes his chance and we’re hopeful he will run well.”

Fury Road was a top-class winner as a novice and has been placed in his last two Grade Ones, latterly when third to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Owned by Ryanair and Gigginstown House Stud boss Michael O’Leary, trainer Gordon Elliott would dearly love to secure victory in the race for the first time with the nine-year-old.

Elliott said: “He ran a very good race in Leopardstown, I think the trip will suit him and I think his jumping is very good.

“If you paused it at the last fence in the Irish Gold Cup, if you’d backed the favourite at a short price you’d have been sweating.

“I thought it was a great prep and he goes to the Ryanair with a great each-way chance. With Allaho coming out it’s opened up and it’s there to be won.”

Paul Nicholls has won this race three times, most recently in 2019 with Frodon and he saddles Hitman, who will be equipped with cheekpieces for the first time, having been pulled up in the King George before finishing a seven-length runner-up to Zanza in the Denman Chase at Newbury.

Ryanair Chase betting odds

4/5 Shishkin

6/1 Blue Lord

13/2 Janidil

10/1 Fury Road

12/1 Envoi Allen

18/1 French Dynamite

22/1 Ga Law

25/1 Hitman

40/1 Chacun Pour Soi

View the latest horse racing odds

All odds and markets correct as of date of publication