Ryanair Chase Betting Preview – Cheltenham Day 3 Tips (2025)

The Ryanair Chase is the fourth race on Day 3 of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and 9 runners have been declared for one of the biggest horse racing betting heats of the season.

We’ve known the early entries for the Ryanair Chase for some time now but decisions have been made and all eyes will be on Prestbury Park on Thursday afternoon.

Here, we look at some of the leading players in the Cheltenham odds for this year’s race, with a Ryanair Chase selection ahead of the 2025 renewal.

One of the most thrilling Grade 1’s of the week appears to be the 2m4½f Ryanair Chase which has an international feel about it this year.

Flying the flag for France is IL EST FRANCAIS who almost stole this season’s King George VI Chase from the front on Boxing Day.

The King George runner-up is set to drop back in distance at Prestbury Park, with yet another enterprising run being envisaged by the seven-year-old’s French-based training team.

Jockey James Reveley believes Il Est Francais has an “outstanding chance” of success provided the French superstar handles the undulations on his first visit to the course.

If anybody knows all about fractions, it’s Reveley, and he can grab this race by the scruff of the neck early doors.

Second in the Champion Bumper in 2023, Fact To File has quickly made into a top-class chaser, boasting a record of being yet to finish out of the first three in any of his ten career starts.

Winner of last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival, Fact To File looked as though he might thwart stablemate Galopin des Champs’ bid to win his third Gold Cup this season, but he just can’t seem to get past him on the day. This race is a much more realistic target for eight-year-old.

Last year’s Ryanair Chase hero Protektorat underlined his credentials to defend his crown with a wonderful display of jumping in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Windsor during the Winter Million Festival.

He will need it soft and he will need to be ridden aggressively again, but if he gets his optimum conditions, Protektorat could run a stormer once more and keep the Skelton’s firmly in the trainer’s prize money driving seat.

Best of the outsiders could be Jungle Boogie who ran a cracker in last year’s Gold Cup before failing to stay out the full trip. He won easily in the 1964 Chase at Ascot last time out and the track and trip will be ideal for him at Cheltenham.

He’s not taken much racing over the years means and this effectively is his personal Gold Cup.

Veteran performer Envoi Allen should not be underestimated either, despite his advancing years.

Envoi Allen is a previous winner of the race and the eleven-year-old will certainly be there or thereabouts to pick up on any errors should the market principles make them.

SELECTION: IL EST FRANCAIS (WIN)