CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIPS - DAY THREE

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


Here, Daily Mail Sport brings you our professional racing pointers, featuring a selection, main risk 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 second to the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw on her hurdling launching in December.


That day her competitor had the benefit of race physical fitness after winning a bumper a month previously. 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 primary risk to the selection. She was beaten just 5 lengths by Skylight Hustle in the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle when facing the geldings.


Alexander has an exceptional 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 type of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase from Trials Day was offered 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 greater. He is unfortunate not to be unbeaten in four starts over fences, having fallen when taking a trip well over this course and range 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 exact same connections as Caldwell Potter, who won this race last season. His runner-up effort here on Trials Day has actually been boosted by both the winner and third 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 needed to wait up until the final race of last year's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she wants to hold impressive claims of acquiring 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 range last season.


A ranking 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 newbie chasing to run here.


Trainer Paul Nolan has actually brought his biggest team yet to the Festival this year and among his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has won two of her 3 starts this season and finished 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 renew their competition, with the 2024 scorer Teahupoo more highly fancied than Bob Olinger.


This will be the fourth straight year that Teahupoo has contested the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has actually completed in the first two on all 8 of his starts considering that December 2023 and produced a career-best efficiency on scores 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 comparable course to that star. A seven-length victory over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle earned him a score of 154, however advocates 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 may have seen the type of his reappearance runner-up effort enhanced previously in the day, when Ma Shantou runs in the Stayers' Hurdle.


He was beaten simply 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 begin 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 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 very same on their charge.


The selection was runner-up in the Pertemps at last year's Festival last season when fitted with first-time cheekpieces, while all 4 of his four chase starts have actually come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood might show the greatest threat.


Finny Maguire, who partnered him when finishing second 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 actually come by difficulties 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 rated 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 beginning rate 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, seven or eight years old.


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


VERDICT: Teahupoo is difficult to oppose offered his Cheltenham record and recent form, but slight preference 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 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, completing a close 3rd in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.


He concerns Cheltenham fresh, open 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 rated 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 ended up in the leading three last time out.


- Betting: 14 of the last 17 winners originated 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 set Fact To File and Impaire Et Passe come out best on patterns. Fact To File was an outstanding winner of the race last year and enters into this in fine type, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.


However, he is set to go off at brief odds today, so a possibility is handled stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more appealing rate. A stylish hurdler, including a Grade One victory as a novice at the 2023 Festival, he has now won two races at the top level considering that switching to the larger barriers. He completed 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 looks to be a placepot lender, and it is hard to see stablemate Jade De Grugy ending up outside the very first two places in the future the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so three 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