How The Ryanair Could Shape Up After Jonbon’s Triumphant Ascot Chase Victory

After Nicky Henderson and JP McManus’ star boy Jonbon earned his 11th grade one victory in the Ascot Chase yesterday, it looks like the 10 year old is destined to end up in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, and a race that once looked like a shoe in for Fact To File could now shape up to be a battle between two very worthy competitors.

With Jonobn now solidifying the fact that he is an out-and-out two miler, it seems more likely than ever that Jonbon will end up in the Ryanair at Cheltenham rather than the Champion Chase, and with JP already having Fact To File as the current ⅘ favourite for the race, things could easily be shaken up three weeks from now. 

Following his Irish Gold Cup victory, Fact To File may now be supplemented into the Gold Cup alongside stablemates like Galopin Des Champs, and although he has won the Ryanair in impressive fashion before, it is going to be hard for connections to ignore what he did in Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival. Given that Fact To File has a number of options ahead, yesterday highlighted that JP McManus has more than one option in the Ryanair, and could take his chances on Fact To File in the Gold Cup leaving the Ryanair to Jonbon which also means one other very worthy competitor could end up there too.

One horse who also ran very well in the Irish Gold Cup was Rich Ricci’s Gaelic Warrior, former winner of the Aintree Bowl, his sights were likely set at the Gold Cup after almost winning the King George on Boxing Day, however his performance at Leopardstown leaned towards more of a Ryanair horse at the moment rather than a Gold Cup horse. Behind current favourite Fact To File, Gaelic Warrior is the even money second choice for the Ryanair, and looks more likely than ever to end up there given how many Willie Mullins already has in the Gold Cup. The matchup between him and Jonbon will be one of the eyecatchers for the festival, and the once poor looking field for the Ryanair is now shaping up to be a clash of two titans of the sport.