Ryanair Chase 2027 Tips - Pre-season guide and selections
Majborough is the ante-post tip for the 2027 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, with confidence that stepping up in trip on the New Course will suit Willie Mullins’ six-year-old. Majborough’s dominant win in the Dublin Chase highlighted his raw pace, but his jumping has been inconsistent over shorter distances. The New Course’s slower tempo and less sharp layout are expected to play to his strengths, and a potential change of jockey could further aid his performance if all leading contenders line up. His overall profile suggests he could improve significantly in this Grade One.
- Pre-season guide and tips for the 2027 Ryanair Chase
- Fact To File leads Lulamba and defending champion Heart Wood in the market
- Majborough is our ante-post selection at 14/1
The unofficial fifth Championship race at the Cheltenham Festival is the Ryanair Chase, which will be run at 4:00pm on Thursday, March 18th.
Here's our ante-post guide to the 2027 Ryanair Chase, featuring the early-season odds, a preview of the prospective race and our best ante-post betting tips.
2027 Ryanair Chase Odds
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Fact To File | 5/1 |
| Lulamba | 7/1 |
| Grey Dawning | 12/1 |
| Heart Wood | 12/1 |
| Majborough | 14/1 |
| Koktail Divin | 14/1 |
| Bar | 20/1 |
🟢 The Early Favourite 🟡
Fact To File ran out an imperious winner of the Ryanair Chase in 2025. Willie Mullins' star beat Gaelic Warrior in the Irish Gold Cup back in February and looked like one of the bankers of last year's Cheltenham Festival, but Fact To File wasn't allowed to defend his Ryanair crown and was pulled from the contest on account of the quickening ground.
Mullins' nine-year-old was then beaten 26 lengths by Gaelic Warrior at the Punchestown Festival, a meeting where he was hammered the previous year too. I imagine connections will be eager to get Fact To File back to the Ryanair this season and, when at the peak of his powers, this two-time Cheltenham Festival winner is one of the finest chasers around.
👑 The Defending Champion 👑
Heart Wood was a bit of a wise-guy horse in the build-up to Cheltenham last season. Henry de Bromhead's star was one of the few horses seemingly guaranteed to run in the 2026 Ryanair and was subsequently put up by plenty as one of the each-way bets of the meeting.
When Fact To File was removed from the race, Heart Wood was cut into 9/2 and proceeded to produce a sublime performance, beating Jonbon and Banbridge by an easy ten lengths. It's likely that Heart Wood will face a much sterner test when he returns to the Festival in March, and it will take another career-best effort to retain his Cheltenham crown.
⭐ The Likely Lads ⭐
Nicky Henderson has already stated that connections are looking to explore longer trips with Lulamba this season. Nico de Boinville's mount won a couple of Graded novice chases last term but was tapped for toe when only third in the Arkle and fell when sitting third at Aintree in April. Lulamba will go down the King George VI Chase route during the first half of this season before a likely tilt at the Ryanair come the spring.
Dan Skelton has freely admitted that Grey Dawning simply didn't see out the Gold Cup trip. For the third season in a row, Skelton's star chaser will kick off his campaign in the Betfair Chase, after which the team will hone in on the Ryanair. Like Lulamba, Grey Dawning would be an extremely dangerous challenger should he line up in March.
Majborough seems likely to join stablemate and fellow JP McManus flagbearer Fact To File in the 2027 Ryanair Chase. Willie Mullins' star is an exceptional talent on his day, but his jumping frailties were exposed over two miles last season, and the time now seems right to step this former Triumph Hurdle winner up in distance.
Then there's Koktail Divin, who I have put up as my ante-post selection for the 2027 Champion Chase. Henry de Bromhead would much rather win the Champion Chase than the Ryanair, and he already has Heart Wood earmarked for this season's contest. Yet, there's no doubt that Henry sees Koktail Divin as more of a staying prospect than a Queen Mother contender at the moment, so he may well end up joining Heart Wood in this Grade One.
🏇🏽 The Best Of The Rest 🏇🏽
Meetmebythesea made all to win the Jack Richards Handicap Chase on Ryanair day 12 months ago. Ben Pauling's star will begin his second campaign over fences in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, and further progress this term could see Meetmebythesea upped to Grade One company come the spring.
Gordon Elliott undoubtedly sees two-and-a-half miles as the perfect trip for Romeo Coolio. Jack Kennedy's mount shaped with plenty of promise for much of the Ladbrokes Champion Chase before fading late on. Gordon may already have the Ryanair earmarked for this multiple Grade One winner.
Banbridge and Jonbon could well return to this contest, although both will be 11-year-olds by the time Cheltenham 2027 rolls around. Caldwell Potter is a course-and-distance winner and may drop back down to two-and-a-half miles when he returns from injury. Il Est Francais was sent off at 10/3 for the 2025 renewal of this contest and may well have a second crack at the Ryanair if Dan Skelton can get this former Kauto Star winner back on track.
Kitzbuhel and Final Demand seem more likely to be in Willie Mullins' Gold Cup squad, but either would have to be respected in a Ryanair. Fleur In The Park would be a lively challenger for Andrew Slattery if connections opt to come over to England for the first time. Regents Stroll and Jagwar could make the step up from handicaps to Graded company this season. Impaire Et Passe, Djelo, Kappa Jy Pyke and Sixmilebridge are worthy of a mention too.
💵 Verdict 💵
The most tempting ante-post proposition for me in the Ryanair Chase is undoubtedly MAJBOROUGH (14/1). Willie Mullins' star is a bit of an enigma, but I'm hopeful that stepping up in trip will enable the 2024 Triumph Hurdle winner to take his chasing game to a new level.
Majborough only managed to win one of his five starts last season. That victory came in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown, where Mark Walsh was given an easy time of things in front and Majborough responded with a dominant performance, beating Marine Nationale by 20 lengths.
Mullins' six-year-old was far too keen throughout the Champion Chase and faded rapidly after yet another error at the third-last. Many fancied Majborough to bounce back at Punchestown, but an error at the opening fence put Walsh on the back foot immediately, and Mullins' star never threatened to challenge Il Etait Temps.
Over longer trips, things unfold a little more slowly. Majborough will have more time to measure his obstacles and should then be able to utilise his raw pace and power in the final furlongs of the contest. The Ryanair Chase is also run on the New Course, which isn't as sharp as the Old Course that Majborough has seemed to take an aversion to at the last two Cheltenham Festivals.
If all of the leading contenders are fit and firing come March, then Harry Cobden will be riding Fact To File. That would enable Paul Townend to get the leg-up on Majborough, and his presence alone could draw half a stone of improvement out of this incredibly talented chaser.
Verdict
Majborough is our ante-post tip for the 2027 Ryanair Chase.
Majborough
Ryanair Chase 2027 Early Tips
@14/1 - 5 Units
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