Can anyone stop Allaho in the Ryanair Chase?

Over the last few years, the Ryanair Chase has massively increased in popularity, to the point that it is one of the most anticipated events at the Cheltenham Festival. Whilst it still might not be on the level of the Gold Cup just yet, the two-mile, four-furlong race always garners some traction on day three of the Festival.
Allaho is the current holder and shows no signs of giving up top spot anytime soon. The Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old leads the Cheltenham odds to retain the title he won behind closed doors last season, with the return of spectators giving that extra incentive this time around. Last year his performance was imperious, and it will certainly take something special for anyone to knock him off his perch.
“It’s incredible! I’m very grateful to be getting these opportunities. He put in a fair performance. He jumped and galloped everywhere. I never felt like I was out of my comfort zone anywhere. It was fantastic,” jockey Rachael Blackmore jubilantly explained after the victory.
“Every horse is different and I was just letting him gallop and jump at the speed he wanted and trying to get breathers into him in a few places. I got a great thrill riding him. It takes a lot of the complication out of it, I suppose, with instructions like that. It’s fairly black and white and if it comes off, it’s fantastic.”
When you consider how well the Festival turned out for Blackmore and Allaho, seeing off the likes of Fakir D’oudairies and Min to win the Ryanair Chase, as well as the recent form of Mullins after his exploits at the Dublin Racing Festival, few can argue there is only one real favourite. But the unpredictability of Cheltenham means the race is certainly no done deal.
There are few who look likely to stop Allaho this year as well, despite a plethora of Grade One winners all in close contention of each other. Usually, someone like Energumene would be right up there, but with a lot of his focus geared towards a hotly anticipated rematch with Shishkin in the Queen Mother Champion Chase after the Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old pipped him to the Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
It’s impossible to completely rule out A Plus Tard as well. Henry de Bromhead enjoyed a great Festival this time last year, recording wins in the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup as part of an impressive treble. While the Ryanair Chase may have eluded him last year, you feel that dejection will make him even hungrier to win it this time around, and A Plus Tard serves as his best chance after recently winning at Haydock and recording a podium place in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.
Then there is the unpredictable Tornado Flyer. Also part of Mullins’ stable, the eight-year-old finished third last year and surprisingly won the King George VI Chase as a massive outsider over the Christmas period. There’s every chance it could have been a one of fluke victory but given the right circumstances, and with Danny Mullins, Willie’s nephew, aboard as a jockey, there’s every chance another shock could be on the cards.