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 ideas, including a choice, main danger 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 finishing 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 earlier. A 12-length winner at Fairyhouse in January, Bambino Fever looks capable of with a record sixth win in the race.
Carrigmoornaspruce appears the primary risk to the selection. 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 kind of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase from Trials Day was given an increase 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 actually fallen when travelling well over this course and distance 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 very 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 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 needed to wait till the last race of in 2015's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she seeks to hold exceptional claims of gaining a very first Grade One success in this contest.
The six-year-old has actually won nine of her 10 starts over obstacles, two of which came by this course and range last season.
A score 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 novice chasing to run here.
Trainer Paul Nolan has brought his biggest group yet to the Festival this year and one of his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has won two of her three starts this season and ended up runner-up to Wodhooh on her other trip.
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 highly fancied than Bob Olinger.
This will be the 4th straight year that Teahupoo has actually objected to the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has completed in the very first 2 on all eight of his starts given that December 2023 and produced a career-best performance on rankings 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 followed a comparable course to that star. A seven-length triumph 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 assist him close the space - or even 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 increased earlier in the day, when Ma Shantou runs in the Stayers' Hurdle.
He was beaten just 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 increase he got. With Ma Shantou now ranked 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 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 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 choice was runner-up in the Pertemps at last year's Festival last season when fitted with novice cheekpieces, while all 4 of his four chase starts have actually come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood might show the most significant 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 in 2015 which competing won the Ultima on Tuesday. His two starts this season have come over difficulties 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 been ranked 152+.
- Last time out: 11 of the last 12 winners finished in the leading four 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 much shorter. There have been 6 winning favourites because time.
- Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged 6, 7 or 8 years of ages.
- Trainer: Two of the last 3 renewals have been won by Gordon Elliott-trained horses.
VERDICT: Teahupoo is difficult to oppose given his Cheltenham record and recent kind, but slight choice 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 same month. He ran well in his only start this season, completing a close third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
He comes to Cheltenham fresh, available 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 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 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 pair 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 enters this in fine kind, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.
However, he is set to go off at short chances today, so a chance is taken on stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more appealing rate. A classy hurdler, consisting of a Grade One victory as a beginner at the 2023 Festival, he has actually now won two races at the top level because changing to the bigger barriers. He finished his preparation for today with a success in the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park last month.
PLACEPOT.
In 2015's Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever seems a placepot banker, and it is hard to see stablemate Jade De Grugy finishing outside the first 2 locations later the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so three choices are recommended.
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