timeform review
Allaho: has been rated 178 by Timeform for his Ryanair Chase win, it is the highest mark given to a Festival winner since Altior’s 2018 Champion Chase
Allaho and away! Tony McFadden of Timeform reviews The Festival – there were some stand-out performances given deserved high ratings, and all were from Irish-trained runners
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HE RYANAIR CHASE has looked as though it was going to be one of the most competitive contests of the week, but Allaho proved in a league of his own, running his rivals ragged and delivering one of the best performances seen at the Cheltenham Festival in recent years. The son of No Risk At All earned a Timeform rating of 178 for his 12l defeat of Fakir D’Oudairies, which is the highest figure posted at the Festival since Altior ran to a mark of 179 when winning his first Champion Chase in 2018. For further context, it’s worth considering
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that Timeform’s benchmark for a top-class performance is a rating of 165 and Allaho exceeded that by almost a stone. On Timeform’s figures, Allaho is now the third highest-rated horse ever trained by Willie Mullins, behind only Douvan (182) and Vautour (180). Allaho, under star of the week Rachael Blackmore, had some high-quality rivals toiling from a long way out, and it is notable that more than half of the 11-runner field were pulled up having been unable to maintain the blistering gallop. It is to Allaho’s credit that he still posted an exceptional time, despite going faster
than ideal early on, and he is fully deserving of his new status as the highest-rated horse in training on Timeform’s figures. He took that title from stablemate Chacun Pour Soi (176), who had been the standout performer in the 2m division and looked set to finally deliver Mullins an elusive Champion Chase title when perfectly delivered by Paul Townend at the second last. However, he found less than had looked likely and had to settle for third behind Put The Kettle On (160), who had been 8l behind him at Leopardstown. It was Chacun Pour Soi’s first race at Cheltenham and it looked like a classic case
