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 specialist racing pointers, a selection, main 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 completing second to the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw on her hurdling launching in December.
That day her competitor had the advantage of race fitness after winning a bumper a month earlier. 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 main risk to the selection. She was beaten just 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 provided an increase when Quebecois was third in the Ultima on Tuesday.
As an outcome, his conqueror that day, Jordans Cross, appears well dealt with from a mark just 6lb higher. He is unfortunate not to be unbeaten in 4 starts over fences, having actually 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 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 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 final race of in 2015's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she wants to hold outstanding 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 obstacles, 2 of which came by this course and distance last season.
A rating 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 most significant group yet to the Festival this year and among his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has 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 rivalry, with the 2024 scorer Teahupoo more strongly 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 finished in the very first 2 on all 8 of his starts since December 2023 and produced a career-best performance on ratings when beating 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 followed a similar path to that star. A seven-length success over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle made him a score of 154, but supporters of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can assist him close the space - 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 kind of his reappearance runner-up effort enhanced 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 3rd.
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 received. With Ma Shantou now ranked 25lb higher 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 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 very same on their charge.
The choice was runner-up in the Pertemps at last year's Festival last season when fitted with newbie cheekpieces, while all four of his four chase starts have actually come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood could show the greatest danger.
Finny Maguire, who partnered him when ending up 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 come by 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 four last time out. Of those, 5 won their last race.
- Betting: 15 of the last 17 winners had a starting rate of 14-1 or shorter. There have been 6 winning favourites because time.
- Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged 6, 7 or 8 years old.
- Trainer: Two of the last three renewals have been won by Gordon Elliott-trained horses.
VERDICT: Teahupoo is tough to oppose offered his Cheltenham record and current type, 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 rejected when stepped up in journey at Punchestown later 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 remaining ranks.
4.00: RYANAIR CHASE
- Rating: 16 of the last 17 winners have actually 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 leading 3 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 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 comes into this in great kind, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.
However, he is set to go off at short odds today, so a possibility is taken on stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more appealing price. A sophisticated hurdler, including a Grade One success as an amateur at the 2023 Festival, he has actually now won two races at the top level since switching to the bigger challenges. He finished his preparation for today with a triumph in the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park last month.
PLACEPOT.
In 2015's Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever looks to be a placepot banker, and it is tough to see stablemate Jade De Grugy completing outside the very first two locations in the future the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so 3 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