The 20-1 for the Albert Bartlett is a good price for such a highly promising horse

Allaho has won the Ryanair Chase twice, by 12 lengths in 2021 and 14 the following year. However, if he makes it to the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, I doubt he could put that kind of margin into Stage Star.

The Paul Nicholls-trained, rapidly improving chaser was a superb winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday, and his four-length beating of Notlongtillmay would have been even more emphatic but for a final-fence alarm.

He was cut to 5-1 second favourite for the Ryanair behind 100-30 market leader Allaho and, although there would normally be a big jump from handicap company to a Cheltenham Festival Grade 1, the early signs are that it might not be a vintage Ryanair, with a number of likely no-shows, such as Jonbon, El Fabiolo, Shishkin, Gerri Colombe, Monkfish and Bravemansgame, behind the top two in the market.