ALLAHO, the hot favourite to win a third Ryanair Chase, has been ruled OUT of the Cheltenham Festival.
Trainer Willie Mullins revealed the shocking news to the dismay of punters – many of whom considered the horse a banker for the meeting in March.
Allaho won the Ryanair Chase in 2021 and 2022[/caption]
Allaho was a hugely impressive winner of the Ryanair in both 2021 and 2022, but missed the chance to land a hat-trick last year after missing the season after suffering a problem with his spleen.
The 10-year-old has been in good form since returning to action this winter, winning on his reappearance at Clonmel before finishing a close third in the King George on Boxing Day.
And on Sunday, he was an easy winner of the Horse and Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles.
But he was found to have strained muscles during that Grade 2 victory, and Mullins says he hasn’t recovered as quickly as hoped.
OFFERS OF THE DAY
Tote: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets + 50 free spins – CLAIM HERE
Betfair: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets – CLAIM HERE
Paddy Power: Bet £20 and get it back as Cash if it Loses – CLAIM HERE
Sky Bet: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Horse Racing Bets – CLAIM HERE
New customers online only. £10 min stake (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £30 Tote Credit + 50 Free Spins on selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Tote credit subject to 7-day expiry. Free spins subject to 7-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the bet-slip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply.
Betfair: New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly 18+ begambleaware.org
Paddy Power: New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using Cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy’s Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply. 18+ Begambleaware.org
Sky Bet: 18+NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1/1 OR GREATER. 3 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ONLY REDEEMABLE ON HORSE RACING. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. NO FREE BET EXPIRY. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY. 18+ Begambleaware.org
He told sportinglife.com: “Unfortunately Allaho will miss Cheltenham this year.
“He came back with a hind leg strain from Thurles and we gave it a few days to come right and it hasn’t.
“There isn’t enough time to get him ready for Cheltenham and unfortunately we’ve had to pull the plug.
“We’ll get over this hurdle first before we see if we can get him back for Punchestown.”
The news has led to a significant shake-up in the antepost betting for the Ryanair Chase in March.
Banbridge is now the clear 11-4 favourite with Paddy Power and Betfair, with Envoi Allen next best at 4-1 ahead of Stage Star at 9-2.
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
