Banbridge Tops Latest Ryanair Chase Runners For 2025 Cheltenham Renewal

With just over two months to go till the tapes go up on the Cheltenham Festival, the Ryanair Chase runners 2025 are starting to take shape with 34 entries at the latest declaration stage on Tuesday 7th January – topped by King George winner Banbridge.

King George Hero Banbridge Heads 34 Ryanair Chase Runners 2025 (at this stage)

One of the big names that is still in contention as a Ryanair Chase runner at this year’s Cheltenham Festival is Banbridge, who landed the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day at Kempton.

This Joseph O’Brien-trained 9 year-old came with a storming late run to collar the French raider Il Est Francais late on (watch below).

If he gets his favours better ground it not hard to see why the best horse racing betting sites in the UK are also making him one of the Cheltenham Festival favourites for 2025, despite running only 9th in the race 12 months ago (soft ground).

Banbridge is also a proven Festival winner – having landed the 2022 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle in 2022.

We are yet to see a King George Chase winner from the same season go onto take the Ryanair Chase. However, Cue Card and Frodon won both races in their careers – just not in the same campaigns.

Last Year’s Winner Protektorat Looking For Repeat Ryanair Chase Win

The current Ryanair Chase champ is the Dan Skelton-trained Protektorat, who slammed the 2023 winner Envoi Allen by four lengths 12 months ago (watch below).

He’s now aged 10 and is expected to be another of the popular Ryanair Chases runners for 2025. If he can defend his title he’ll join Allaho and Albertas Run as the only other two-time winners of this fairly new Festival race – that was first run in 2005.

Willie Mullins Has Won The Ryanair Chase Five Times

The powerful Willie Mullins team have the best record in the Ryanair Chase – with five successes over the years.

However, all of these Mullins wins have only come since 2016 when the classy Vautour broke the Closutton duck.

He’s since added Un de Sceaux, Min and two wins for Allaho to take his tally to five and counting.

We can expect Mullins to be mob-handed in the race again in 2025. See his latest Ryanair Chase runners below that include El Fabiolo, Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, who is also a possible Cheltenham Gold Cup runner.

Paul Nicholls is the next best trainer in the race with three wins – taking two of the first three renewals back in 2005 and 2007.

Willie Mullins Ryanair Chase Runners/Entries 2025

Seven Of The Last 9 Ryanair Chase Winners Were Trained In Ireland

In the 20 years of the Ryanair Chase there have been seven Irish-trained winners – which have ALL come since 2016.

Yes, during the early history of the Ryanair Chase it was a graveyard race for the Irish – with the UK-based stables winning ALL runnings from 2005 to 2015.

However, in more recent times it’s a prize the Emerald Isle have dominated, with only the Dan Skelton-trained Protektorat in 2024 and Paul Nicholls winner Frodon in 2019 flying the UK flag since 2016.

Il Est Francais Flying The Gold Cup Flag For France

France last won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1994 when The Fellow beat hot favourite at the champ going into the race Jodami.

However, they will feel they’ve got a live chance of adding to that with King George runner-up Il Est Francais.

This Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm runner was only chinned in the closing stages at Kempton on Boxing Day, but the worry would be the longer horse racing Gold Cup trip.

Il Est Francais also holds an entry in the Ryanair Chase, which is run over a shorter trip (2m4f) and the Champion Chase (2m).

Ryanair Chase Runners 2025

Ryanair Chase 2025 Details

📅Date: Thursday 13th March 2025
⌚Time: 3:20pm
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
🔄Trip: 2m 4 1/2f
💷Winning Purse: £211,013
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV

See the full Cheltenham Festival 2025 dates, race times and new running order.

Ryanair Chase Recent Winners (Last 10 Years)