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THE RYANAIR STEEPLE CHASE (CLASS 1)

(RegisteredasTheFESTIVALTROPHY)(GRADE1)(GBBRACE)

for five yrs old and upwards ™ Total prize fund £375000

Owners Prize Money. 1st £161400, 2nd £66525, 3rd £33263, 4th £16650, 5th £8325, 6th £4163, 7th £2063, 8th £1050. (Penalty Value £211012.50)

Leading course trainer (17-22): N Henderson (38 wins from 286 runners, 13%) runs SHISHKIN

Trainer-in-form (last 14 days): P Nicholls (11 wins from 32 runners, 34%) runs HITMAN

Fancy That: W P Mullins won this race in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 & 2022. The stable runs BLUE LORD, CHACUN POUR SOI & JANIDIL today.

| FACTS | FANCIES | FORM | STATS |

1 BLUE LORD (FR) (39)

B g Blue Bresil (FR) - Lorette (FR) 8 11-10

J P. Townend E Tongue Strap

T W. P. Mullins, Ireland

O Mr Simon Munir/Mr Isaac Souede

B Mrs Joelle Morruzzi & Mrs Raymonde Demai

2 CHACUN POUR SOI (FR) (53)

B g Policy Maker (IRE) - Kruscyna (FR) 11 11-10

J Daniel Mullins

T W. P. Mullins, Ireland

O Mrs S. Ricci

B Mr Didier Berland

3 ENVOI ALLEN (FR) (80)

B g Muhtathir - Reaction (FR) 9 11-10

J Rachael Blackmore E Tongue Strap

T Henry de Bromhead, Ireland

O Cheveley Park Stud

B Mr Bruno Vagne

S Cheveley Park Stud

4 FRENCH DYNAMITE (FR) (53)

B g Kentucky Dynamite (USA) - Matnie (FR)

8 11-10

J Darragh O’Keeffe E Tongue Strap, Cheek Pieces

T M. F. Morris, Ireland

O Robcour

B Francois-Marie Cottin & Hubert Barbe

5 FURY ROAD (IRE) (40)

B g Stowaway - Molly Duffy (IRE) 9 11-10

J Davy Russell E Tongue Strap, Cheek Pieces

T Gordon Elliott, Ireland

O Gigginstown House Stud

B Kenneth Parkhill

S Gordon Elliott

6 GA LAW (FR) (47)

B g Sinndar (IRE) - Law (FR)

J Jonathan Burke

T Jamie Snowden, Lambourn

O The Footie Partnership

B Jean-Francois Magnien

S Betvictor

7 HITMAN (FR) (33)

7 11-10

TFRHHHHI BHA167

FORM 13-1112 BF

2m 4f 127y

TIMEFORM VIEW Has made up into a top-class chaser (including victory over this trip) and met with defeat for only the second time from 8 starts over fences in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown, never looking like getting to stablemate Gentlemen de Mee,who jumped better Solid place claims

5Feb Leo 17f Ch yield 2/5 Gentleman de Mee (FR) 7l

Dec22 Leo 17f Ch yield 1/7 Captain Guinness (IRE) 11l

Nov22 Clo 20f Ch sf-hv 1/4 Tornado Flyer (IRE) nk

TFRHHHII BHA167

FORM 51U-233

TIMEFORM VIEW Top-class chaser at his best, notching up a sixth Grade 1 success at Leopardstown in February 2022 before unseating ninth in the Champion Chase here.Hasn’t looked the same force since,folding in the straight at Thurles 7 weeks ago Suspect his chance of Festival glory has passed him by 22Jan Thu 20f Ch yield 3/6 Fakir d’Oudairies (FR) 18l

Dec22 Leo 17f Ch yield 3/7 Blue Lord (FR) 14l

Apr22 Pun 16f Ch gd-yd 2/5 Energumene (FR) 81/2l

TFRHHHII BHA163

FORM 613-310 CD

TIMEFORM VIEW 2019ChampionBumperand2020Ballymorewinnerwhohas become a bit of an enigma since his highly-promising novice chase campaign. Was back to winning ways impressively in the Down Royal Champion Chase in November but bombed out again in the King George.Tons of class but clearly risky.

Dec22 Kmp 24f Ch soft 7/9 Bravemansgame (FR) 50l

Nov22 Dow 24f Ch yield 1/5 Kemboy (FR) 13/4l

Apr22 Pun 16f Ch gd-yd 3/5 Energumene (FR) 14l

TFRHHIII BHA155

FORM 1-31252

TIMEFORMVIEWDualchasewinnerwhoscoredoverhurdlesatThurles(23f) inOctoberandhasheldhisowninsomegoodracesoverfencessince,goingclose behind Ga Law in the Paddy Power Gold Cup here and chasing home Fakir d’Oudairies over this trip back at Thurles last time.This looks too tough though.

22Jan Thu 20f Ch yield 2/6 Fakir d’Oudairies (FR) 6l

Dec22 Leo 24f Ch soft 5 Conflated (IRE) 12l

Nov22 Chl 20f HcpC good 2/14 Ga Law (FR) 3/4l

TFRHHHHI BHA161

FORM 52-3133

TIMEFORM VIEW Went close in the 2020 Albert Bartlett and has made up into a top-class chaser, scoring again on his return at Down Royal in November Fine run behind a couple of Gold Cup contenders in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and this race could be tailor-made for him.

4Feb Leo 24f Ch yield 3/7 Galopin des Champs (FR) 83/4l

Dec22 Leo 24f Ch soft 3 Conflated (IRE) 61/4l

Nov22 Dow 19f Ch yield 1/4 Delvino (IRE) s.h

TFRHHHHI BHA152

FORM 132/-31F C BF

TIMEFORM VIEW Has improved this term after a long absence,finding plenty toseeoffFrenchDynamite,whofluffedthelast,inthePaddyPowerGoldCuphere. ThefinalfenceprovedtobehisownundoingintheSkyBetChase7weeksagoand he might have won.Remains potentially a high-class chaser

28Jan Don 23f HcpC good F/11 Cooper’s Cross (IRE) -

Nov22 Chl 20f HcpC good 1/14 French Dynamite (FR) 3/4

Oct22 Ain 19f HcpC gd-sf 3/8 Riders Onthe Storm (IRE)

TFRHHHII BHA159

FORM 32-21P2 BF

B g Falco (USA) - Tercah Girl (FR) 7 11-10

J Harry Cobden E Tongue Strap, Cheek Pieces

T Paul Nicholls, Ditcheat

O Mason, Hogarth, Ferguson & Done

B Mme C. Villaud Ameline & Mr Q. Villaud

S Morson Group

/

TIMEFORM VIEW Easy winner of 21.5f Haydock graduation event in November and back to form after King George flop (reportedly bled) when runner-up in the Denman Chase at Newbury, faring best of those ridden prominently First run at Cheltenham and goes in first-time cheekpieces Probably just place claims at best.

11Feb Nby 23f Ch good 2/7 Zanza (IRE) 7l

Dec22 Kmp 24f Ch soft P/9 Bravemansgame (FR) -

Nov22 Hay 21f Ch soft 1/4 Erne River (IRE) 11l

8 JANIDIL (FR) (26)

B g Indian Daffodil (IRE) - Janidouce (FR) 9 11-10

J Mark Walsh

T W. P. Mullins, Ireland

O Mr John P. McManus

B Mr Hubert Langot & Mr Michel Langot

9 SHISHKIN (IRE) (26)

B g Sholokhov (IRE) - Labarynth (IRE) 9 11-10

J Nico de Boinville E Tongue Strap

T Nicky Henderson, Lambourn

O Mrs J Donnelly

B C.J. & E.B Bennett

S Unibet

TFRHHHII BHA163

FORM 532F-P1

TIMEFORM VIEW No match for mighty stablemate Allaho in this last year, plugging on for a remote second.Completed for the first time since back from 10 months off when winning Gowran Grade 2 last month (1-2-3 for yard in a 4-runner race),looking as good as ever,but more needed to take a hand in this

18Feb Gow 20f Ch sf-hv 1/4 Haut En Couleurs (FR) 11/4l

Apr22 Pun 24f Ch gd-yd P/9 Allaho (FR) -

Apr22 Fai 19f Ch yield F/6 Easy Game (FR) -

TFRHHHHH BHA174

FORM 1/11P-31 C D

TIMEFORM VIEW Big disappointment in the Queen Mother last year but that was his first defeat at the Festival having won the 2020 Supreme and 2021 Arkle andhewasrightbacktohisstunningbest2runsonintheAscotChaselastmonth, relishing the step up in trip tongue tied/after a wind op The one to beat

18Feb Asc 21f Ch gd-sf 1/6 Pic D’orhy (FR) 16l

Dec22 San 15f Ch gd-sf 3/6 Edwardstone 15l

Mar22 Chl 15f Ch soft P/7 Energumene (FR) -

DECLARED RUNNERS 9 2022: ALLAHO (FR) 8 11 10 P Townend 4-7 (W P Mullins) 7 ran

Stewards Note: ENVOI ALLEN: Following its run on 26/12/2022 it was reported that the horse was never travelling.

Probable S.P’s: 8-11 Shishkin (IRE), 11-2 Blue Lord (FR), 10-1 Fury Road (IRE), 14-1 Janidil (FR), 20-1 Envoi Allen (FR), 33-1 Ga Law (FR), 40-1 Chacun Pour Soi (FR), French Dynamite (FR), 66-1 Hitman (FR)

SHISHKIN regained his place back among the chasing elite when scoring impressively at Ascot last month, relishing the longer trip in a first-time tongue tie. He won the 2020 Supreme and 2021 Arkle and can atone for last year’s Queen Mother disappointment with a third Festival victory. Fury Road, who went close in the 2020 Albert Bartlett, has been holding his own in 3m Grade 1s and looks the biggest danger ahead of Blue Lord and Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Ga Law