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 choice, main threat 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 competitor 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 supplying Mullins with a record 6th win in the race.
Carrigmoornaspruce appears the main threat to the selection. She was beaten simply five 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 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 just 6lb greater. 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 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 improved by both the winner and third considering that, and he aims 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 final race of last year'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, two of which came over this course and distance last season.
A rating of 154 leaves her 4lb clear of Jade De Grugy, who finished runner-up in this race last year behind Champion Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth. She reverts back from amateur chasing to run here.
Trainer Paul Nolan has actually brought his greatest team yet to the Festival this year and one of his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has won two 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 competition, with the 2024 scorer Teahupoo more highly 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 ended up in the first 2 on all 8 of his starts because December 2023 and produced a career-best performance on rankings when defeating 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 course to that star. A seven-length success over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle earned him a rating of 154, however advocates 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 might have seen the form of his reappearance runner-up effort 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 start 132 and looks deserving of the 7lb rise he received. 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 in 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 first-time cheekpieces, while all four of his 4 chase starts have actually come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood might show the biggest danger.
Finny Maguire, who partnered him when ending up second at the November conference 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 two starts this season have come by difficulties 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 completed in the top 4 last time out. Of those, 5 won their last race.
- Betting: 15 of the last 17 winners had a starting cost of 14-1 or shorter. There have actually been six winning favourites in that 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 hard to oppose provided his Cheltenham record and current form, but slight choice on trends 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 denied when stepped up in journey at Punchestown later on in the exact same month. He ran well in his only start this season, ending up a close third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
He comes to Cheltenham fresh, open up to plenty more improvement and might be the next star in the remaining 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 three 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 patterns. Fact To File was an impressive winner of the race last year 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 short odds today, so a chance is taken on stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more attractive price. A stylish hurdler, including a Grade One victory as an amateur at the 2023 Festival, he has now won 2 races at the leading level because switching to the larger obstacles. 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 difficult to see stablemate Jade De Grugy completing outside the first two places later the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so 3 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