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 professional racing suggestions, including a selection, main danger 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 ending up second to the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw on her hurdling debut in December.


That day her rival had the advantage of race physical fitness after winning a bumper a month earlier. A 12-length winner at Fairyhouse in January, Bambino Fever looks efficient in providing Mullins with a record sixth win in the race.


Carrigmoornaspruce appears the main danger to the selection. She was beaten just 5 lengths by Skylight Hustle in the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle when facing 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 a boost 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 unlucky not to be unbeaten in 4 starts over fences, having fallen when travelling 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 exact same connections as Caldwell Potter, who won this race last season. His runner-up effort here on Trials Day has actually been increased by both the winner and third considering 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 up until the last race of in 2015's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she aims to hold outstanding claims of acquiring a first Grade One success in this contest.


The six-year-old has actually won nine of her 10 starts over hurdles, 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 in 2015 behind Champion Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth. She reverts back from newbie chasing to run here.


Trainer Paul Nolan has brought his most significant group yet to the Festival this year and one of his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has actually 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 two winners of this race renew their competition, with the 2024 scorer Teahupoo more highly fancied than Bob Olinger.


This will be the fourth straight year that Teahupoo has objected to the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has actually completed in the first two on all eight of his starts considering that 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 followed a similar course to that star. A seven-length triumph over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle earned him a rating of 154, however fans of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can assist him close the space - or even reverse the form.


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 type of his reappearance runner-up effort improved previously in the day, when Ma Shantou runs in the Stayers' Hurdle.


He was beaten just under 3 lengths by that rival 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 begin 132 and looks deserving of the 7lb rise he received. With Ma Shantou now rated 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 3 years in succession in between 2018 and 2020. He arrives 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 two times won this race on horses at the head of the weights. Jeriko Du Reponet's connections will be hoping he can do the 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 4 of his 4 chase starts have come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood might prove the biggest risk.


Finny Maguire, who partnered him when ending up 2nd at the November meeting at this course, is back on board. Daily Present beat Johnnywho when winning this race last year and that competing won the Ultima on Tuesday. His 2 starts this season have come over hurdles and he could 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 actually been ranked 152+.


- Last time out: 11 of the last 12 winners ended up in the top 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 6 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 three renewals have been won by Gordon Elliott-trained horses.


VERDICT: Teahupoo is tough to oppose provided his Cheltenham record and recent kind, however minor 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 narrowly denied when stepped up in trip at Punchestown later in the same month. He ran well in his only start this season, finishing a close third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.


He concerns Cheltenham fresh, open to plenty more enhancement 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 nine years old.


- Last time out: Nine of the last 12 winners completed in the top three last time out.


- Betting: 14 of the last 17 winners originated 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 Willie Mullins set Fact To File and Impaire Et Passe come out best on trends. Fact To File was an impressive winner of the race last year and comes into this in great form, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.


However, he is set to go off at brief odds today, so a chance is taken on stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more attractive cost. A classy hurdler, including a Grade One success as a novice at the 2023 Festival, he has now won 2 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.
In 2015's Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever seems a placepot lender, and it is hard to see stablemate Jade De Grugy completing outside the first 2 locations later the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so 3 selections are .


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