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 expert racing tips, including a selection, primary risk and live outsider for each race ...
Teahupoo will be objecting to 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 finishing second 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 previously. A 12-length winner at Fairyhouse in January, Bambino Fever looks capable of providing Mullins with a record 6th win in the race.
Carrigmoornaspruce appears the primary danger 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 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 dealt with from a mark only 6lb higher. He is unlucky not to be unbeaten in 4 starts over fences, having fallen when travelling well over this course and range at the November meeting behind stablemate Kdeux Saint Fray. Both are trained by Anthony Honeyball, with the latter sneaking 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 been boosted by both the winner and 3rd because, and he wants 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 final race of in 2015's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she aims to hold exceptional claims of getting a very first Grade One success in this contest.
The six-year-old has actually won nine of her 10 starts over difficulties, 2 of which came over this course and range last season.
A ranking of 154 leaves her 4lb clear of Jade De Grugy, who completed runner-up in this race last year behind Champion Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth. She reverts back from beginner chasing to run here.
Trainer Paul Nolan has brought his greatest group yet to the Festival this year and one of his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has actually won two of her 3 starts this season and completed 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 renew 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 actually ended up in the very first 2 on all eight of his starts because December 2023 and produced a career-best performance on ratings when defeating Bob Olinger by 7 lengths in the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at .
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 victory over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle earned him a ranking 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 form.
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 might 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 3 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 3 years in succession between 2018 and 2020. He gets here 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 actually two times 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 come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood could show the greatest threat.
Finny Maguire, who partnered him when finishing second at the November meeting at this course, is back on board. Daily Present beat Johnnywho when winning this race in 2015 and that rival won the Ultima on Tuesday. His two starts this season have actually come by hurdles and he might 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 rated 152+.
- Last time out: 11 of the last 12 winners ended up in the leading 4 last time out. Of those, 5 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 of ages.
- Trainer: Two of the last three renewals have been won by Gordon Elliott-trained horses.
VERDICT: Teahupoo is tough to oppose provided his Cheltenham record and current kind, but minor 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 narrowly rejected when stepped up in journey at Punchestown later in the very same month. He ran well in his only start this season, completing a close 3rd in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
He pertains to Cheltenham fresh, open up to plenty more improvement and might 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, 8 or nine years of ages.
- Last time out: Nine of the last 12 winners finished in the top three last time out.
- Betting: 14 of the last 17 winners came from the top 3 in the market.
- Trainer: Eight of the last 10 winners have actually 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 trends. Fact To File was a remarkable winner of the race in 2015 and comes into this in fine kind, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.
However, he is set to go off at brief chances today, so an opportunity is handled stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more appealing price. A classy hurdler, consisting of a Grade One victory as a newbie at the 2023 Festival, he has actually now won two races on top level because changing to the larger barriers. He finished his preparation for today with a victory in the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park last month.
PLACEPOT.
Last year's Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever looks to be a placepot banker, and it is hard to see stablemate Jade De Grugy finishing outside the very first two places later 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