CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIPS - DAY THREE
The third day of Cheltenham Festival is forming up to be a belter on St Patrick's Thursday.
Here, Daily Mail Sport brings you our expert racing suggestions, including a choice, main danger and live outsider for each race ...
Teahupoo will be objecting to the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle for the fourth 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 second to the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw on her hurdling debut in December.
That day her rival had the advantage of race fitness after winning a bumper a month previously. A 12-length winner at Fairyhouse in January, Bambino Fever looks efficient in providing Mullins with a record 6th win in the race.
Carrigmoornaspruce appears the primary risk to the choice. 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 offered an increase when Quebecois was 3rd in the Ultima on Tuesday.
As an outcome, his conqueror that day, Jordans Cross, appears well treated from a mark just 6lb higher. He is unfortunate not to be unbeaten in four starts over fences, having fallen when taking a trip 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 actually been boosted by both the winner and third given 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 had to wait till the last race of last year's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she looks to hold exceptional 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 obstacles, two of which came over this course and range last season.
A ranking of 154 leaves her 4lb clear of Jade De Grugy, who ended up 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 brought his greatest team yet to the Festival this year and among his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has actually won 2 of her three starts this season and completed 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 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 contested the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has actually completed in the first 2 on all eight of his starts considering that December 2023 and produced a career-best efficiency on rankings when defeating 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 comparable path to that star. A seven-length success over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle made him a ranking of 154, however fans of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can help 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 might have seen the form of his reappearance runner-up effort improved previously 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 start off 132 and looks deserving of the 7lb increase he got. With Ma Shantou now rated 25lb greater than he was here in October, both Electric Mason and Supremely West, now rated 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 shows up 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 exact same on their charge.
The selection was runner-up in the Pertemps at last year's Festival last season when fitted with first-time cheekpieces, while all four of his 4 chase starts have actually come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood might prove the greatest risk.
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 rival won the Ultima on Tuesday. His two starts this season have actually come over obstacles 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 ranked 152+.
- Last time out: 11 of the last 12 winners completed in the leading 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 six 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 been won by Gordon Elliott-trained horses.
VERDICT: Teahupoo is hard to oppose given his Cheltenham record and recent kind, however small 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 denied when stepped up in journey at Punchestown later on in the exact same month. He ran well in his only start this season, finishing a close 3rd in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
He concerns Cheltenham fresh, open 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 been rated 161+.
- Age: 16 of the last 17 winners were aged 7, eight 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 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 pair Fact To File and Impaire Et Passe come out best on trends. Fact To File was an outstanding winner of the race in 2015 and enters this in fine form, 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 cost. A stylish hurdler, consisting of a Grade One triumph as a beginner at the 2023 Festival, he has now won 2 races on top level considering that switching to the bigger barriers. He completed his preparation for today with a triumph 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 hard to see stablemate Jade De Grugy completing outside the first two locations 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