Ryanair Chase report & free video replay as Protektorat storms to Cheltenham Festival win
By Sporting Life
15:40 · THU March 14, 2024
Dan Skelton's incredible Cheltenham Festival got even better as Protektorat landed the Ryanair Chase at 17/2 on Thursday.
The nine-year-old was dropping to the intermediate trip for the first time since he was second at Cheltenham in the 2021 Paddy Power Gold Cup and he tanked into the race under Harry Skelton.
Stage Star and Ahoy Senor gave him the perfect tow into the race and he took up the running going strongly in the straight.
A good jump at the last put daylight between himself and the staying-on Irish raiders, last year's winner Envoi Allen four lengths back in second. Conflated was third with Capodanno fourth, Stage Star weakening out of contention after trying to make most of the running.
It was the fourth winner of the week for the Skeltons after Langer Dan, Unexpected Party and Grey Dawning.
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Dan Skelton said: “We’ve been trying the Gold Cup trip because we’ve been trying to make it happen, it’s the race the owners would most like to win. We dropped him in and he finished third and we rode him more aggressively and he finished fifth.
“He wasn’t hitting the Gold Cup standard this year, so we’ve come for this and I thought Harry gave him a supreme ride. When Envoi Allen came upsides us I thought he’s danced this dance a lot of times and maybe we’re booked for second, but then going to the last I thought we’d found a bit more, maybe that’s that stamina that we’ve been filling him with for the last few years.
“It’s a massive family thing and the work that the staff put in is phenomenal. I don’t know what the magic dust was this week. What’s going on here is what we all try to do, it just very rarely happens.
“The Ryanair Chase is one of the biggies. Grey Dawning is a Grade One novice with a lot to look forward to and with the handicappers you’ve got to place them well, but this is one of the grails isn’t it?
“Two Grade Ones at Cheltenham on one day, it doesn’t happen."
Richard Thompson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, owners of Envoi Allen, said: “That was absolutely marvellous, very enjoyable. I thought we were going to win coming to the last, but he’s run a marvellous race. We’ve won this race for the last three years, he’s won here three times himself.
“It’s just great to be in the shake-up in a race like this, but this year it was someone else’s turn. I totally believe he knows he’s back at Cheltenham and he certainly runs his best races here. We know we are back here, so why shouldn’t he?
“Rachael (Blackmore) didn’t ask for a big one at the last as I think she thought she would pick him up on the run-in but look, he’s ended up winning quite easily and wasn’t stopping so I don’t think it was down to that jump. He’s been third in a Gold Cup to A Plus Tard and won a Betfair Chase, he’s a very good horse Protektorat.
“I think there’s another big day or two but he’s is 10 so you’ve got to be realistic, there are youngsters coming through. It might be Punchestown or Aintree. I was thinking Punchestown, but now I’m thinking it may be Aintree.”
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