WHY do people not like Ryanair? Sorry, why do people not like the Ryanair Chase?

With the Festival novice chase entries revealed this week, many duplications among the entries bringing the likelihood of small fields, and odds-on favourites, the conversation came round again to how Cheltenham could be improved by changing the existing races.

I saw a few online comments that “the Ryanair takes away more than it gives”. Err, how exactly, when it has given us brilliant moments like Vautour, Un De Sceaux, Frodon and Allaho?

It’s highly unlikely that we will lose any races from the existing number of 28 over four days. To me, the Ryanair warrants its place on the Thursday card.

Does it really take from the Gold Cup? It requires a different type of horse. And when we are frequently hearing that winning a three-mile, two furlongs Gold Cup leaves a mark on horses, do we need the question?

Is anyone suggesting Allaho would stay the Gold Cup trip? On the evidence of his King George, Vautour would not either. Frodon tried the Gold Cup and was predictably found wanting. My opinion is that Cue Card would have come up short in the Gold Cup too but he did his Ryanair and attempted the step up.

Imperial Commander also used it as a step up the Gold Cup the following year – fine. That can be done with the right horse.

What would really serve by having these wonderful jumpers in a Gold Cup? Struggling home in fourth place? We need to be able to cheer stars – to pull more people in to racing. Watching Vautour’s jump-perfect round was a thrill in itself.

And Un De Sceaux was not going to win a Champion Chase – he was at his brilliant best at two and a half. He too produced a wonderful Ryanair performance.

We had a few lesser winners like Balko Des Flos but then Lord Windermere was no great Gold Cup winner.

Trainers are more cautious now and perhaps horses can’t take tough races as well.

Yes, it might be lovely and nostalgic to look back at old Gold Cup line-ups and see the likes of Dublin Flyer in there. And lots of decent handicappers going off at near 100/1. Best Mate had 18 and 15 opponents in 2002 and 2003 but we don’t have that depth coming through nowadays from the handicap ranks.

Nostalgia is great. It’s like the days of watching TV from 11am on the Saturday, the teams heading off in their new suits onto buses to travel to the FA Cup Final. It’s from days long gone.

Bin the Boodles

On the other hand, I never welcomed the addition of the Boodles/Fred Winter Hurdle and still see little need for it at the Festival. It doesn’t really allow any smaller yards to get a look-in as it is generally won by bigger stable, Nicholls, Elliott, O’Brien, with the second division of four-year-olds.

Unlike the decent handicaps, there’s no connection with the horses as you might with handicappers coming back year after year.

How often have you backed the winner? And the winners went on to achieve little more in their careers, indeed the best horse to run in it didn’t even win!

The Triumph had small fields of nine and eight in 2018 and 2021. Even though it went up to 15 last season, getting a maximum field into it again and dumping the Boodles for another all-aged two-mile handicap hurdle off a lower ratings band that the County might liven up the end of the Tuesday.

THE sight of Stradivarius’ first foal appearing to be very much like her famous sire brought a bit of pleasantry online this week.

Expecting siblings to match each other’s achievement over jumps is much rarer than on the flat. There really was only one Hurricane Fly as one example. The mare Matnie is a different story with Mighty Potter, French Dynamite, Indiana Jones, Caldwell Potter and Brighterdaysahead all of Cheltenham standard.

Maughreen got ‘slashed for Champion Bumper’ headlines on Monday and because of her clever name, she got a lot of attention. Anything related to Faugheen seems perk the interest even if she is not so closely related - her dam being out of a half-sister to the Champion Hurdle winner.

This year’s Festival seems to be throwing up a few more than usual siblings and close relations.

Jonbon and Douvan are full-brothers. Aurora Vega and Facile Vega are full-siblings and out of six-time Festival winner Quevega. Mystical Power is son of Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power. Monty’s Star is a half-brother to Monalee. Limerick Lace and Inothewayurthinkin are full-siblings too.

YOU would think that any organisation bringing in new meetings or drastic changes to its programme, which might not suit many of the participants, would do so at times when they would meet the least resistance and negative comments. The BHA’s addition of the Sunday evening cards and early morning Saturday starts, both in the depth of winter, just seems unnecessarily clumsy if they want to get the vital elements, trainers, jockeys, stable staff, onside. Winter weather predictably threw a spanner in the works this week.

Andy Cummins@Handy_Andy96

Even Stevie Wonder thought Lark In The Mornin was a big eye catcher there.

Charlie Sutton@sutts109

Some ideas don’t need trialling to know they’re not good ones. Chuck a meeting on at 3am Saturday so people have something to bet on after they’ve been clubbing. [On the intended 10.10am Lingfield start]

Tommy Dunne@tommydunne7

JJ Slevin would of won on either horse there. Top class ride on Banbridge.

Matthew Sutcliffe@MattySutcliffe

5/1 for him is potentially one of the worst prices of the festival. Solely good ground dependent, and how often do we see the Thursday on good ground? I wouldn’t back him at 5s to make it. [Opinions differ on Banbridge]