Listener team ready to fly in Ryanair Chase

Nick Mitchell expects a wide-open Ryanair Chase to develop into a real thriller at Cheltenham tomorrow.

Mitchell, assistant trainer to the Robert and Sally Alners, is anticipating a bold bid from stable star The Listener, who has been treated for a minor problem since winning the Irish Hennessy.

“After the Hennessy we found a slight tear in his hind-quarters and he’s had physio for that,” explained Mitchell.

“We’re also going to try a new bit to try and stop him jumping right-handed a touch.

“The ground conditions seem to be about right, but I must admit I would have preferred it on the New Course.

“I walked it on Sunday and there was definitely more ease in that one, although hopefully the rain we’ve had since will make it fine.

“The Listener certainly seems really well and it’s shaping into a great race, I’m going to enjoy it just as a spectacle.”

Mitchell expects The Listener to make a bold bid for glory but is under no illusion as to the scale of the task ahead.

“I think it’s difficult to split around four of them to be honest. I did think Tamarinbleu was the obvious one to beat so I’m glad he’s not there,” he continued.

“Having said that, I think Our Vic will be very interesting in headgear. He doesn’t have a renowned love for the hill but he could be really hard to peg back if they have an effect.

“I think we’re pretty much level with Mossbank. He beat us in the Lexus, but might have been ridden more for a place and it’ll be close with them running on their merits.

“The Listener has beaten Star De Mohaison giving him just under a stone at Cheltenham before, so I’m not too worried about the track.

“But you could run the race of your life here and still only finish fourth.”

Davy Russell, jockey of Mossbank, is confident that his mount will take all the beating.

Mossbank finished a head in front of The Listener as the duo chased home Denman in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

“All conditions suit him and he’s a big, light-framed horse so he’d enjoy better ground – but I still feel he’d handle it if the rain came,” said the jockey.

“I feel if I had ridden him more positively last time I’d have finished further ahead of The Listener and I’d be disappointed if I was second to that horse on Thursday.”

Henrietta Knight is represented by Racing Demon, who will bid to improve on a respectable fifth in this race last year.

The eight-year-old was partnered by Tony McCoy when winning the Peterborough Chase back in November and the champion jockey will be back in the plate on Thursday.

Knight said: “His season’s gone OK this time, it’s gone quite smoothly anyway and he’s run well each time he’s been to the races.

“The ground will probably be drying out and his stamina should be fine. We would have preferred the race to be the other way round, but we do have a great jockey on board again.”

Knight respects many of Racing Demon’s opponents and feels the ease in the ground should suit The Listener ideally.

“I think The Listener will go very well in these conditions and Our Vic should have a good chance too,” she continued.

“They were close at Kempton but there’s just the factor of them going the other way round at Cheltenham.”

Andrew McNamara will take the reins on last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase fifth Justified in the two-mile-five-furlong heat, which will be run as a Grade One for the first time this term.

However, the nine-year-old has not won since last October and tipped up in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran on his final prep run.

“He might not be far away on his best form but he’d have to recapture that first,” conceded McNamara.