Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)

AT long last Min’s moment in the sunshine at the Cheltenham Festival arrived as a display of some flamboyance and laden with resolve enabled him to secure the seventh top-level success of his career.

A top-class chaser, as evidenced by his impressive big-race haul, Min had the misfortune to arrive on the scene at the same time as Altior and he finished second to that horse in both the 2016 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the 2018 Queen Mother. This was the first time that he was asked to go beyond two miles at Cheltenham and this extended two-and-a-half-mile trip showed him off to best effect.

A fourth winner of this race for Willie Mullins, the 2/1 chance had run to a high level on his two previous starts this season but perhaps he hadn’t jumped quite as well as he can.

Vigour

It was all change here though as Paul Townend’s mount attacked his fences with vigour and produced a series of bold jumps that were worthy of another Mullins-trained winner of this race, the recently retired Un De Sceaux.

Last year’s winner Frodon was unable to boss this race the way he did 12 months ago and instead it was left to Min to take the field along, and his jumping was by far the best on show. By the time the Susannah Ricci-owned winner reached the straight he had just Saint Calvados and A Plus Tard to worry about.

Challenge

The latter looked to be in trouble much earlier in the race before getting himself into the reckoning but the strongest challenge came from Saint Calvados. He crept through on the inner to make his bid at the last but he missed that fence and forfeited the inner to Min.

It was hard work on the run to the line and Saint Calvados closed in gradually after having to switch out but this was Min’s day and he got home by a neck. A Plus Tard was a further length and a half back in third.

“We got the tactics wrong on him last year in the Champion Chase. We changed things up this year and learnt our lesson and now he is back at the top table,” said Mullins. “Watching him jump today, he was just fantastic through the air and, when he needed a jump, he got them. He put the others under pressure.

“It was probably wobbly knee time after the last when Saint Calvados came up the inside but he still had a little bit left in the tank.

“I am pleased for him, Paul, Rich, Susannah and everyone. I think this horse could go back to two miles but this looks to be his optimum trip,” added the trainer.