CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIPS - DAY THREE
The 3rd day of Cheltenham Festival is shaping up to be a belter on St Patrick's Thursday.
Here, Daily Mail Sport brings you our professional racing suggestions, featuring a selection, 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 completing 2nd to the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw on her hurdling launching in December.
That day her rival had the benefit of race fitness after winning a bumper a month previously. A 12-length winner at Fairyhouse in January, Bambino Fever looks capable of supplying Mullins with a record 6th win in the race.
Carrigmoornaspruce appears the main danger to the choice. She was beaten just 5 lengths by Skylight Hustle in the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle when dealing with the geldings.
Owner Kenny Alexander has an excellent 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 provided a boost when Quebecois was 3rd in the Ultima on Tuesday.
As a result, his conqueror that day, Jordans Cross, appears well treated from a mark only 6lb greater. He is unlucky not to be unbeaten in four starts over fences, having 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 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 actually been enhanced by both the winner and 3rd considering that, and he looks 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 till the last race of in 2015's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she wants to hold exceptional claims of acquiring a first Grade One success in this contest.
The six-year-old has actually won 9 of her 10 starts over hurdles, 2 of which came by this course and distance last season.
A ranking of 154 leaves her 4lb clear of Jade De Grugy, who completed runner-up in this race in 2015 behind Champion Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth. She reverts back from newbie chasing to run here.
Trainer Paul Nolan has actually brought his most significant group yet to the Festival this year and among his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has actually won 2 of her 3 starts this season and ended up runner-up to Wodhooh on her other outing.
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 rivalry, with the 2024 scorer Teahupoo more strongly fancied than Bob Olinger.
This will be the 4th straight year that Teahupoo has objected to the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has finished in the first 2 on all eight of his starts given that December 2023 and produced a career-best performance on scores when beating 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 comparable path to that star. A seven-length success over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle made him a rating of 154, however supporters of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can help him close the space - and even 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 boosted earlier in the day, when Ma Shantou runs in the Stayers' Hurdle.
He was beaten just under 3 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 start off 132 and looks deserving of the 7lb rise he got. With Ma Shantou now rated 25lb greater 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 between 2018 and 2020. He gets here on the back of a career-best display 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 choice was runner-up in the Pertemps at last year's Festival last season when fitted with first-time cheekpieces, while all four of his four chase starts have actually come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood might prove the greatest threat.
Finny Maguire, who partnered him when finishing 2nd at the November meeting at this course, is back on board. Daily Present beat Johnnywho when winning this race last year and that competing won the Ultima on Tuesday. His two starts this season have come over difficulties and he could 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 ranked 152+.
- Last time out: 11 of the last 12 winners ended up in the leading 4 last time out. Of those, five won their last race.
- Betting: 15 of the last 17 winners had a beginning price of 14-1 or much shorter. There have actually been 6 winning favourites because 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 current form, however slight preference on patterns is for the gently raced.
HONESTY POLICY Gordon Elliott's six-year-old landed the Grade One Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in April before being directly rejected when stepped up in trip at Punchestown later in the same month. He ran well in his only start this season, finishing a close third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
He pertains to Cheltenham fresh, available to plenty more enhancement 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 of ages.
- Last time out: Nine of the last 12 winners ended up in the top three last time out.
- Betting: 14 of the last 17 winners came from the leading 3 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 excellent winner of the race in 2015 and comes into this in fine 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 price. A stylish hurdler, consisting of a Grade One victory as a novice at the 2023 Festival, he has now won two races at the leading level considering that switching to the bigger challenges. He completed his preparation for today with a success in the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park last month.
PLACEPOT.
Last year's Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever seems a placepot lender, and it is tough to see stablemate Jade De Grugy completing outside the very first 2 places in the future the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so 3 choices 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