Connections have confirmed that the Colin Tizzard-trained Eldorado Allen will run in the Ryanair Chase at this month's Cheltenham Festival.

Eldorado Allen underlined his Festival credentials with an eye-catching victory in last month's Grade Two Denman Chase at Newbury and there were some suggestions following that success that he could be set for a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

However, Joe Tizzard, who is the son of Colin and will take over the reins from his father at the end of the season, has now confirmed they will be aiming the eight-year-old at the Ryanair Chase, which will highlight day three of the Festival on March 17.

He said: "Eldorado Allen is our highest-rated horse going into the Festivala nd he'd have to have a really competitive each-way chance.

"We're going to run him in the Ryanair. There was talk of sticking him in the Gold Cup after he won the Denman, but it's £30,000 to supplement and I'm not sure he's an out-and-out stayer.

"He's always been a nice horse and I think he goes into the Ryanair with a nice chance."

Eldorado Allen is expected to lead a small but select Tizzard contingent heading to the Cotswolds, where the Sherborne-handler will be hoping to add to his seven previous Cheltenham Festival winners.

Cue Card and Native River are among Tizzard's most successful Festival horses, with the former having landed the Weatherbys Champion Bumper in 2010 before adding the Ryanair Chase three years later, while the latter stormed to Gold Cup success in 2018.

Joe Tizzard admits the class of 2022 does not have the same star quality as was previously provided by Cue Card and Native River. 

But he is confident the team can enjoy a successful week at Prestbury Park.

He added: "We're a bit light on numbers — there's no two ways about it. 

"Those elite horses are hard to come by. We were lucky to have Cue Card, who kept taking us to the big days, and so did Native River.

"Hopefully, we've got some youngsters who are going to progress to that stage and I think we've got some chances in the handicaps. We haven't got a standout horse, that's for certain."

Eldorado Allen is likely to provide the Tizzard yard with their best chance of a Festival winner this year.

But War Lord, who will compete in the Arkle Novices' Chase off the back of three wins already this season, and Lostintranslation, whose hopes in the Ultima Handicap Chase are likely to be ground dependent, could also deliver plenty of success.