Will Shishkin win the Ryanair at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival?

A couple of weeks can be a long time in racing and as we get closer to the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, the Ryanair Chase betting odds have been turned upside down during that time.

We’ve had a short priced favourite for the Ryanair all season in Allaho and although the price at the top of the market is the 5/4 its been all season, there’s a now new name on top of the list….. Shishkin.

 

Shishkin the Right Ryanair Favourite

Allaho had headed the market but wasn’t without disruption in his campaign due to a few niggles and was subsequently ruled out for the season during mid-February so the race became wide open. That openness didn’t last too long though as only 6 days later Shishkin stormed to the top of the Ryanair Chase odds after a convincing win in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase.

This was Shishkin’s first try at over 2m over fences and he seemed to love it. A few quarters of the media were writing Shishkin off after his poor display in the Tingle Creek in December. That was off the back of him being pulled up in last year’s Champion Chase due to a rare bone issue that was reported soon after.

But this was Shishkin at his best. Write him off at your peril. He travelled and jumped fantastically and had his old swagger back. This was a performance that was needed for us all to retain the faith in him. Trainer Nicky Henderson always had faith and he was rewarded. Questions on whether the improvement was down to the up in trip or just him being A1 fitness-wise again are justified but I believe it’s probably a combination of both.

---

Read More: Ruby Walsh’s 2023 Champion Hurdle tips.

---

 

Shishkin to win a weak Ryanair?

The Ryanair field looks as weak as it did for the majority of the season. With Shishkin lowering the colours of Pic Dorhy and Fakir D’oudairies at Ascot, they are extremely unlikely to turn up to the Festival now. Haut En Couleurs disappointed on the same weekend and it would be a surprise if he was now going to be supplemented for the race.

Blue Lord (2^nd fav 5/1) and Janadil (3^rd fav 7/1) should still give Willie Mullins 2 darts at this and they don’t come without a chance. We might only get 7/8 runners here so backing something EW now isn’t a bad take and French Dynamite would be a horse I can see filling the places.

If I can’t find a reason to lay a horse then it’s usually a sign of me thinking they will win. Shishkin is short enough now and although he’s difficult to back, I believe he’s the most likely winner. The much talked about ‘bounce’ factor may play its part as it’s only 26 days between races but I don’t believe that’s going to be an issue. I would be confident we have Shiskhin back to something like his best.

Will Shishkin win the 2023 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham? Absolutely.

Bet on Shiskin with a Free Bet

 

Watch: Shiskin wins the Betfair Chase at Ascot

 

Ryanair Chase 2023 Odds

• Shishkin – 11/10
• Blue Lord – 5/2
• Fury Road – 9/2
• Janidil – 7/1
• Haut Et Couleurs – 8/1
• Envoi Allen – 10/1
• Fakir Doudairies – 10/1
• French Dynamite – 14/1
• GA Law – 14/1
• Hitman – 20/1

All these odds are correct at the time of writing and come with Cheltenham no runner no bet from bet365. If you haven’t used bet365 before, you can also get the bet365 £50 Cheltenham sign-up offer meaning you get £50 in free bets when you bet £10 on a horse racing bet. The guide below shows you exactly how to open a new bet365 and get the offer.

1 Click this link straight to the bet365 Cheltenham offer

2 Sign-up and bet £10

3 Get £50 in Cheltenham Festival free bets

 

Read More:

Cheltenham 2023 mega accumulator across four races.

Coral Cup and Albert Bartlett ante-post betting tips at double figure odds.

All our Cheltenham Festival Day 1 betting tips.

Relevant news