Banbridge, the 8-year-old gelding who starts in Thursday’s Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse in Britain, represents the lower profile side of Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien’s stable, at least in the eyes of many American racing fans. O’Brien, who has won such races as the 2018 Irish Derby, the Melbourne Cup twice, and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf with Iridessa at Santa Anita in 2019, also has a successful jump racing division. The lightly raced Banbridge has been a star for O’Brien during the last year, winning a Grade 1 novices’ chase at Aintree Racecourse last April, and a Grade 2 chase at 2 9/16 miles at Kempton Park in January in his only start this year. The recent win puts Banbridge at the fore of the field of the $496,000 Ryanair Chase, which is run at about 2 1/2 miles and is the principal event on Thursday’s seven-race program, the third of four consecutive days of the Cheltenham festival for hurdlers and chasers. Unlike many of the Grade 1 races at Cheltenham this week, the Ryanair Chase lacks a clear favorite in a field of 11. As of Tuesday morning, Banbridge was 5-1, the third choice behind co-favorites Envoi Allen and Stage Star at 9-2. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Envoi Allen has not started since a second-place finish by a neck in the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal Racecourse in Northern Ireland last November. Envoi Allen is owned by Cheveley Park Stud and trained by Henry de Bromhead. The week before Envoi Allen’s loss at Down Royal, Cheveley Park Stud won the BC Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita with Inspiral, who later won the Eclipse Award as the 2023 champion turf female. Stage Star won the Paddy Power Gold Cup at about 2 1/2 miles at Cheltenham in November, but was pulled up in the New Year’s Day Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in January after he faded from contention about a half-mile from the finish. The Ryanair Chase is the richest race on Thursday, a program that begins at 9:30 a.m. Eastern or 6:30 a.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com. The Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle at about three miles follows the Ryanair Chase and is led by the Irish shipper Teahupoo, who was third in the 2023 running for trainer Gordon Elliott. Teahupoo won the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at 2 9/16 miles at Fairyhouse in December in his only start of the current jump racing season, which began in August. Crambo, trained near Cheltenham by Fergal O’Brien, represents the best chance of the British-based runners on the strength of a narrow win over 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle winner Paisley Park in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at 3 1/16 miles at Ascot in December. Paisley Park followed that race with a second-place finish by a head to Noble Yeats in the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Jan. 27. Both Noble Yeats and Paisley Park are part of Thursday’s $415,300 Stayers’ Hurdle field but are rated as longshots. :: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.  O’Brien had a successful start to the Cheltenham festival on Tuesday with a win by Lark in the Mornin over 21 rivals in a handicap hurdle race at 2 1/16 miles for 4-year-olds. Lark in the Mornin paid $17.80 in American pools, the longest winning price on the seven-race program. Trainer Willie Mullins won three of the four Grade races with State Man ($2.60) in the $598,800 Champion Hurdle, Lossiemouth ($2.80) in the $154,200 Mares’ Hurdle, and Gaelic Warrior ($5.20) in the $225,000 Arkle Chase for novices. The Mullins-trained Mystical Power was second to de Bromhead’s Slade Steel ($8.20) in the $173,500 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the day’s first Grade 1 race. Ireland-based trainers won six of the seven races. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.