CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIPS - DAY THREE

The 3rd day of Cheltenham Festival is forming up to be a belter on St Patrick's Thursday.


Here, Daily Mail Sport brings you our specialist racing suggestions, a choice, main risk and live outsider for each race ...


Teahupoo will be contesting 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 finishing 2nd 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 offering Mullins with a record 6th win in the race.


Carrigmoornaspruce appears the primary danger to the selection. She was beaten simply 5 lengths by Skylight Hustle in the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle when dealing with 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 kind of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase from Trials Day was given a boost 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 fallen when taking a trip 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 same connections as Caldwell Potter, who won this race last season. His runner-up effort here on Trials Day has been increased by both the winner and 3rd given that, 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 had to wait until the final race of in 2015's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she looks to hold impressive claims of acquiring a very first Grade One success in this contest.


The six-year-old has actually won 9 of her 10 starts over obstacles, 2 of which came over this course and range last season.


A rating of 154 leaves her 4lb clear of Jade De Grugy, who ended up 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 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 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 two 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 actually contested the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has completed in the very first 2 on all eight of his starts considering that December 2023 and produced a career-best efficiency on rankings 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 actually followed a comparable path to that star. A seven-length victory over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle earned him a ranking of 154, however fans of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can assist him close the gap - 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 might have seen the kind of his reappearance runner-up effort improved previously 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 3rd.


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 got. With Ma Shantou now ranked 25lb greater 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 in between 2018 and 2020. He gets here 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 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 very 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 4 of his 4 chase starts have come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood might prove the most significant risk.


Finny Maguire, who partnered him when finishing second at the November conference at this course, is back on board. Daily Present beat Johnnywho when winning this race last year which rival won the Ultima on Tuesday. His 2 starts this season have come by 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 completed in the leading 4 last time out. Of those, 5 won their last race.


- Betting: 15 of the last 17 winners had a beginning rate of 14-1 or much shorter. There have been six winning favourites in that time.


- Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged 6, 7 or eight years of ages.


- Trainer: Two of the last 3 renewals have been won by Gordon Elliott-trained horses.


VERDICT: Teahupoo is tough to oppose offered his Cheltenham record and current kind, but 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 trip at Punchestown later on in the very same month. He ran well in his only start this season, ending up a close third 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 been ranked 161+.


- Age: 16 of the last 17 winners were aged 7, 8 or 9 years old.


- 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 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 patterns. Fact To File was an impressive winner of the race last year and enters into this in great 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 attractive cost. An elegant 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 since 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 lender, and it is difficult to see stablemate Jade De Grugy completing outside the first 2 places later 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