Albertas Run repeats Ryanair success

Albertas Run has won the Ryanair Chase for the second successive year under Tony McCoy.

The 10-year-old was winning at the Festival for the third time in all having landed the RSA Chase in 2008.

Always close to the pace Albertas Run headed Rubi Light when that rival made a mistake at the third last fence, but had to dig deep on the run from the final fence as both Kalahari king and Rubi Light pressed him strongly.

The strongly supported favourite Poquelin (5/2-2/1) was on and off the bridle throughout the final mile and could only manage fourth.

Winning trainer Jonjo O'Neill said: "That was special, he absolutely loves this ground and he's a much better horse on it.

"He's had a few problems along the way this season but he just started to come right in the last few weeks.

"He just comes alive this time of year, the sun is shining and the gods are shining on us.

"It's great for Trevor - he's a great owner and a great man. He's in the Gold Cup but I think we might give him a rest."

Hemmings said: "That was lovely. What a ride and what a horse.

"After the fall he had at Ascot, Jonjo has done well to get him back."

Ferdy Murphy said of runner-up Kalahari King: "He has been second, third and fourth here now. It's very difficult in championship races, but you pick up a lot of money which is even more important at the moment.

"He ran a brilliant race - he's a versatile horse - and he'll go for the two-and-a-half-miler (Melling Chase) at Aintree now."

A serious incident was narrowly averted at the Cheltenham Festival today when an intruder encroached on to the track towards the end of the Ryanair Chase.

A man climbed through the running rail, around 100 yards from the winning post, as the horses flashed by him.

He was wielding a placard believed to be aimed at Ryanair, the low-cost Irish airline owned by Michael O'Leary.

O'Leary owns a number of horses, two of which won at the Festival on Tuesday, and was again in attendance at Cheltenham.

The man was wrestled to the floor by security staff at the end of the race, won by the Tony McCoy-ridden Albertas Run, and was promptly arrested.

There were no reported injuries.

Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham managing director, said: "We put a security person on every possible exit in the championship races but we had no intelligence suggesting we had reason to do that for the Ryanair.

"We do get good intelligence from the police if something might happen.

"Nobody got hurt and the last time someone got on the course was about 20 years ago.

"It's a police matter and they are dealing with it now."

O'Leary said: "If some idiot wants to try and make some publicity for himself let him.

"If he's prepared to run in front of AP McCoy riding a horse, let him."