CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIPS - DAY THREE
The third day of Cheltenham Festival is shaping up to be a belter on St Patrick's Thursday.
Here, Daily Mail Sport brings you our specialist racing suggestions, featuring 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 now dropping in grade.
The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old lost her unbeaten record when completing second to the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw on her hurdling launching in December.
That day her rival had the advantage of race 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 6th win in the race.
Carrigmoornaspruce appears the main threat to the selection. She was beaten just five lengths by Skylight Hustle in the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle when facing the geldings.
Owner Kenny Alexander has an exceptional 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 form of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase from Trials Day was given an increase when Quebecois was third in the Ultima on Tuesday.
As a result, his conqueror that day, Jordans Cross, appears well dealt with from a mark only 6lb higher. He is unfortunate not to be unbeaten in 4 starts over fences, having actually fallen when travelling well over this course and distance at the November conference 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 exact same connections as Caldwell Potter, who won this race last season. His runner-up effort here on Trials Day has been boosted by both the winner and third considering that, 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 had to wait up until the final race of in 2015's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she wants to hold exceptional claims of gaining a first Grade One success in this contest.
The six-year-old has won 9 of her 10 starts over difficulties, 2 of which came by this course and distance last season.
A ranking 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 newbie chasing to run here.
Trainer Paul Nolan has actually brought his greatest group yet to the Festival this year and among his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has won two of her three 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 two 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 actually objected to the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has actually completed in the first two on all 8 of his starts considering that December 2023 and produced a career-best performance on scores when beating Bob Olinger by 7 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 path to that star. A seven-length triumph over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle made him a ranking of 154, but supporters of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can assist him close the gap - or perhaps reverse the type.
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 simply under three lengths by that competitor 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 begin 132 and looks deserving of the 7lb rise 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 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 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 might prove the biggest danger.
Finny Maguire, who partnered him when completing second at the November meeting at this course, is back on board. Daily Present beat Johnnywho when winning this race last year which competing won the Ultima on Tuesday. His 2 starts this season have actually come over obstacles and he could outrun his odds.
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 been ranked 152+.
- Last time out: 11 of the last 12 winners ended up in the top 4 last time out. Of those, 5 won their last race.
- Betting: 15 of the last 17 winners had a starting price of 14-1 or shorter. There have actually been 6 winning favourites because time.
- Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged 6, seven or 8 years of ages.
- Trainer: Two of the last 3 renewals have actually been won by Gordon Elliott-trained horses.
VERDICT: Teahupoo is tough to oppose offered his Cheltenham record and recent type, however slight preference on patterns 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 directly denied when stepped up in trip at Punchestown later in the exact same month. He ran well in his only start this season, completing a close third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
He pertains to Cheltenham fresh, available to plenty more improvement and could be the next star in the staying ranks.
4.00: RYANAIR CHASE
- Rating: 16 of the last 17 winners have actually been ranked 161+.
- Age: 16 of the last 17 winners were aged 7, eight or 9 years old.
- Last time out: Nine of the last 12 winners finished in the top 3 last time out.
- Betting: 14 of the last 17 winners came 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 pair Fact To File and Impaire Et Passe come out best on patterns. Fact To File was an outstanding winner of the race last year and comes into this in great kind, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.
However, he is set to go off at brief odds today, so a possibility is handled stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more attractive price. A classy hurdler, consisting of a Grade One triumph as a beginner at the 2023 Festival, he has actually now won two races on top level since changing to the larger challenges. 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 seems a placepot lender, and it is hard to see stablemate Jade De Grugy ending up outside the first 2 locations in the future the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so 3 selections are advised.
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