Ruby Walsh: The Ryanair Chase will be a real jockeys’ race

Our man Ruby reckons it's a battle for second behind Allaho.

*Odds quoted on the widget are Non Runner Money Back prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you’ll get your stake back

Allaho is one of the shortest-price favourites in Paddy Power’s Non Runner Money Back betting markets for the Cheltenham Festival 2022.

Willie Mullins’ charge delivered a monster performance to win last year’s Ryanair Chase by 12l and is unbeaten in two starts over fences this season.

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He’s the one to beat in Thursday’s Grade 1 over the intermediate distance and legendary jockey Ruby Walsh believes the rest will be left fighting for second place.

Speaking on the latest episode of our Cheltenham Countdown podcast series, Ruby reckons the next best behind Allaho will come down to whichever horse gets the smartest ride on the day. You can listen to the show in full BELOW.

Ruby Walsh:

“I think this’ll be a real jockeys’ race.

“You know Allaho’s going to rock and roll on the front end and it’s a case of who’s going to be able to put their horse just to the limit of their cruising speed without overstepping the line.

“To have the confidence to ignore Allaho but ride your own horse on the limit and then build it from the right distance out so that you can hit the line. That’s the kind of challenges I loved as a jockey.

“You’d love to be riding Allaho, obviously, but if you were riding one of the opposition you could go out there thinking, ‘There’s a massive chance If I do this right, I could rob second’ and you never know what could happen then.

“It’s a real challenge to them.”

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

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