CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIPS - DAY THREE
The 3rd day of Cheltenham Festival is forming up to be a belter on St Patrick's Thursday.
Here, Daily Mail you our professional racing ideas, including a choice, main threat and live outsider for each race ...
Teahupoo will be contesting the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle for the 4th straight year
RYANAIR MARES' NOVICES' HURDLE
1.20: GRADE TWO - 2 MILES, 1 FURLONG
Last season's Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever holds strong claims now dropping in grade.
The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old lost her unbeaten record when ending up 2nd to the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw on her hurdling launching in December.
That day her rival had the advantage of race physical fitness after winning a bumper a month earlier. A 12-length winner at Fairyhouse in January, Bambino Fever looks efficient in supplying Mullins with a record sixth win in the race.
Carrigmoornaspruce appears the primary risk to the choice. She was beaten just 5 lengths by Skylight Hustle in the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle when facing the geldings.
Owner Kenny Alexander has an outstanding record with his mares at this Festival and he runs Echoing Silence.
SELECTION: BAMBINO FEVER ... 6-5
MAIN DANGER: CARRIGMOORNASPRUCE ... 12-1
LIVE OUTSIDER: ECHOING SILENCE ... 16-1
JACK RICHARDS NOVICES' CHASE
2.00: HANDICAP - 2 MILES 4 1/2 FURLONGS
The kind of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase from Trials Day was offered a boost when Quebecois was 3rd in the Ultima on Tuesday.
As a result, his conqueror that day, Jordans Cross, appears well dealt with from a mark only 6lb greater. He is unlucky not to be unbeaten in 4 starts over fences, having fallen when taking a trip well over this course and range at the November meeting behind stablemate Kdeux Saint Fray. Both are trained by Anthony Honeyball, with the latter slipping into the race at the foot of the weights.
Regent's Stroll represents the same connections as Caldwell Potter, who won this race last season. His runner-up effort here on Trials Day has actually been enhanced by both the winner and 3rd since, and he seeks to hold strong claims.
SELECTION: JORDANS CROSS ... 6-1
MAIN DANGER: REGENT'S STROLL ... 9-2
LIVE OUTSIDER: KDEUX SAINT FRAY ... 18-1
CLOSE BROTHERS MARES' HURDLE
2.40: GRADE ONE - 2 MILES, 4 1/2 FURLONGS
Gordon Elliott needed to wait until the last race of in 2015's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she seeks to hold impressive claims of getting a very first Grade One success in this contest.
The six-year-old has actually won 9 of her 10 starts over difficulties, two of which came over this course and distance last season.
A rating of 154 leaves her 4lb clear of Jade De Grugy, who ended up runner-up in this race last year behind Champion Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth. She reverts back from novice chasing to run here.
Trainer Paul Nolan has actually brought his most significant team yet to the Festival this year and one of his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has won 2 of her 3 starts this season and finished runner-up to Wodhooh on her other getaway.
SELECTION: WODHOOH ... 4-5
MAIN DANGER: JADE DE GRUGY ... 5-2
LIVE OUTSIDER: FEET OF A DANCER ... 10-1
PADDY POWER STAYERS' HURDLE
3.20: GRADE ONE - 3 MILES
The last 2 winners of this race restore their competition, with the 2024 scorer Teahupoo more strongly fancied than Bob Olinger.
This will be the fourth straight year that Teahupoo has objected to the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has actually ended up in the very first two on all eight of his starts because December 2023 and produced a career-best efficiency on ratings when defeating Bob Olinger by seven lengths in the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Emma Lavelle trained Paisley Park to win this in 2019 and Ma Shantou has actually followed a similar course to that star. A seven-length triumph over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle earned him a rating of 154, however supporters of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can assist him close the gap - or perhaps reverse the kind.
SELECTION: TEAHUPOO ... 7-2
MAIN DANGER: MA SHANTOU ... 13-2
LIVE OUTSIDER: IMPOSE TOI ... 11-1
PERTEMPS NETWORK FINAL HURDLE
4.40: HANDICAP - 3 MILES
Electric Mason may have seen the kind of his reappearance runner-up effort improved earlier in the day, when Ma Shantou runs in the Stayers' Hurdle.
He was beaten just under three lengths by that rival at Cheltenham in October, with the reopposing Supremely West in third.
Electric Mason went on to land the Betfair Stayers' Handicap Hurdle at Haydock on his next start off 132 and looks deserving of the 7lb increase he got. With Ma Shantou now ranked 25lb higher than he was here in October, both Electric Mason and Supremely West, now ranked 2lb lower, appear to hold claims.
Staffordshire Knot represents Gordon Elliott, who won this race three years in succession in between 2018 and 2020. He arrives on the back of a career-best display screen when taking the Boyne Hurdle.
SELECTION: ELECTRIC MASON ... 11-1
MAIN DANGER: SUPREMELY WEST ... 7-2
LIVE OUTSIDER: STAFFORDSHIRE KNOT ... 20-1
FULKE WALWYN KIM MUIR CHASE
5.20: HANDICAP - 3 MILES, 2 1/2 FURLONGS
Six-time Cheltenham Festival-winning rider Derek O'Connor has actually twice won this race on horses at the head of the weights. Jeriko Du Reponet's connections will be hoping he can do the very same on their charge.
The selection was runner-up in the Pertemps at last year's Festival last season when fitted with newbie cheekpieces, while all 4 of his four chase starts have actually come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood could show the most significant threat.
Finny Maguire, who partnered him when completing 2nd at the November meeting at this course, is back on board. Daily Present beat Johnnywho when winning this race in 2015 which competing won the Ultima on Tuesday. His 2 starts this season have actually come by hurdles and he might outrun his chances.
SELECTION: JERIKO DU REPONET ... 10-3
MAIN DANGER: HERAKLES WESTWOOD ... 9-1
LIVE OUTSIDER: DAILY PRESENT ... 6-1
THE WIZARD OF ODDS
By Chris Baker
STAYERS' HURDLE
- Rating: 16 of the last 17 winners have actually been rated 152+.
- Last time out: 11 of the last 12 winners completed in the top four last time out. Of those, five won their last race.
- Betting: 15 of the last 17 winners had a starting rate of 14-1 or shorter. There have actually been six winning favourites in that time.
- Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged 6, seven or 8 years old.
- Trainer: Two of the last 3 renewals have actually been won by Gordon Elliott-trained horses.
VERDICT: Teahupoo is difficult to oppose offered his Cheltenham record and recent type, but slight choice on trends is for the lightly raced.
HONESTY POLICY Gordon Elliott's six-year-old landed the Grade One Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in April before being narrowly rejected when stepped up in trip at Punchestown later on in the very same month. He ran well in his only start this season, ending up a close third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
He comes to Cheltenham fresh, open to plenty more enhancement and might be the next star in the remaining ranks.
4.00: RYANAIR CHASE
- Rating: 16 of the last 17 winners have actually been rated 161+.
- Age: 16 of the last 17 winners were aged 7, 8 or nine years of ages.
- Last time out: Nine of the last 12 winners finished in the top 3 last time out.
- Betting: 14 of the last 17 winners originated from the leading three in the market.
- Trainer: Eight of the last 10 winners have been trained by Willie Mullins (6) or Henry de Bromhead (2 ).
VERDICT: The Willie Mullins set Fact To File and Impaire Et Passe come out best on patterns. Fact To File was an excellent winner of the race last year and enters into this in great type, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.
However, he is set to go off at brief chances today, so a chance is handled stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more appealing rate. A stylish hurdler, including a Grade One victory as a novice at the 2023 Festival, he has actually now won 2 races at the top level given that switching to the larger barriers. He finished his preparation for today with a triumph in the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park last month.
PLACEPOT.
In 2015's Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever looks to be a placepot lender, and it is hard to see stablemate Jade De Grugy ending up outside the first two places later on the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so three choices are suggested.
RACE ONE: (3) BAMBINO FEVER
RACE 2: (2) SIXMILEBRIDGE (4) REGENT'S STROLL
RACE 3: (3) JADE DE GRUGY
RACE 4: (7) HONESTY POLICY (11) TEAHUPOO
RACE 5: (5) IMPAIRE ET PASSE (3) FACT TO FILE
RACE 6: (7) SUPREMELY WEST (8) ABSOLUTELY DOYEN (3) ELECTRIC MASON
1 x 2 x 1 x 2 x 2 x 3 = 24 LINE