Cheltenham ghosts vanquished as Min gains deserved Ryanair Chase success

Min vanquished the ghosts of Cheltenhams past with a bold and brave Ryanair Chase performance that destroyed any lingering doubts about his efficacy around Prestbury Park in utterly resounding fashion.

In three previous starts in the Cotswolds, Rich and Susannah Ricci’s stalwart had failed to emerge victorious. On each of those occasions, though, the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old faced an immovable object, finishing second to Altior in the 2016 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the 2018 Queen Mother Champion Chase then running fifth in the same race last year.

This time, Altior missed the Champion Chase, but then so did Chacun Pour Soi, whose defeat of Min at the Dublin Racing Festival had seen him promoted to the number one rank in the Closutton two-mile division. As things transpired, Min would surely have earned a deserved success in Wednesday’s feature.

Alas, it was not to be. Still, this moment of redemption 24 hours later was sweet consolation. In jumping majestically on the front end and then gallantly repelling Saint Calvados and A Plus Tard, finally Min’s irresistible force was enough.

This was his day, and it also constituted further evidence that Paul Townend is a suitably worthy successor to Ruby Walsh, who had not spared his successor in his analysis of Benie De Dieux’s defeat in the Mares’ Hurdle on Tuesday.

Things obviously went wrong then, but Townend resolved not to go wrong with them. That’s the mark of the man.

“There’s no future in looking back,” he said after securing his first, and Mullins’s third, Ryanair Chase success.

"It's a big week this week and it's one I've always taken very seriously. I've been coming here a long time and have come here with good rides before and I just had to come here the same way. Even if they were second strings to Ruby's they were still very good rides and very important rides."

Townend had already excelled in bringing Ferny Hollow from last to first in Wednesday’s Champion Bumper finale, and illustrated the range of his tactical versatility here with this contrasting steer.

Watch Min land the Ryanair Chase

Rachael Blackmore had stalked Min throughout aboard A Plus Tard. Once Townend saw her off two-out, Gavin Sheehan began poking up the inside on Saint Calvados and for a moment it looked like he might get there.

However, Sheehan ended up having to come around to launch his challenge. Saint Calvados eventually got motoring and narrowed the gap to a neck at the death, but Min found more when it was needed.

Under Townend's cool hand, the winner was scoring for a sixth time at the highest level. Of the testy uphill skirmish, the rider said: "When you're in front, you're entitled to be on the inside."

He added: "We went pretty hard early on and when we got back around it steadied down and we got into a lovely rhythm.

"It’s brilliant Min has had his day here. We were all out coming to the line but he got there."

Min (Paul Townend) leads Saint Calvados over the last fence in the Ryanair ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Of his second winner of the week, having earlier seen Melon chinned so dramatically, Mullins admitted: “It was a little bit wobbly knee time after the last when Saint Calvados came up the inside but the horse still had a bit left in the tank. I did think, 'Oh no, are we going to get chinned again', but Min pulled it out.”

Harry Whittington, who later gained compensation with Simply The Betts, said of Saint Calvados: “I’m so proud of him. I’m gutted to be beaten but also so proud of him and the team for getting him here in this condition.”

A Plus Tard, beaten less than two lengths in third, returned a strongly supported 7-4 favourite, and Henry de Bromhead admitted he was a bit disappointed with the run.

"Rachael said he never seemed to be going at all," he reported. "It definitely wasn’t the distance as he was closer at the line than he was at the last. He just didn’t seem to run his race.”

The 2019 hero Frodon led or sat upsides Min in the early exchanges. He kept on for fourth but had no answer to a merciless winner.

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