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 specialist racing ideas, including a choice, primary threat 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 debut in December.


That day her rival had the benefit of race physical fitness after winning a bumper a month earlier. A 12-length winner at Fairyhouse in January, Bambino Fever looks capable of offering Mullins with a record 6th win in the race.


Carrigmoornaspruce appears the primary danger to the choice. She was beaten simply 5 lengths by Skylight Hustle in the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle when facing 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 form of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase from Trials Day was provided a boost when Quebecois was third in the Ultima on Tuesday.


As a result, his conqueror that day, Jordans Cross, appears well dealt with from a mark only 6lb greater. He is unfortunate not to be unbeaten in 4 starts over fences, having actually 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 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 improved by both the winner and third since, 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 up until the final race of last year's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she seeks to hold exceptional claims of gaining a first Grade One success in this contest.


The six-year-old has actually 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 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 actually brought his greatest 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 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 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 contested the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has actually completed in the first 2 on all 8 of his starts given that December 2023 and produced a career-best performance on scores 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 victory over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle earned him a ranking of 154, however advocates of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can assist him close the space - or perhaps reverse the kind.


SELECTION: TEAHUPOO ... 7-2


MAIN DANGER: MA ... 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 increased earlier in the day, when Ma Shantou runs in the Stayers' Hurdle.


He was beaten simply under 3 lengths by that rival 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 begin 132 and looks deserving of the 7lb increase he got. 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 three years in succession between 2018 and 2020. He shows up 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 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 four of his four chase starts have come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood could show the most significant danger.


Finny Maguire, who partnered him when ending up 2nd at the November conference at this course, is back on board. Daily Present beat Johnnywho when winning this race in 2015 and that competing won the Ultima on Tuesday. His 2 starts this season have actually 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 rated 152+.


- Last time out: 11 of the last 12 winners finished in the leading 4 last time out. Of those, 5 won their last race.


- Betting: 15 of the last 17 winners had a beginning cost 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, seven or 8 years old.


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


VERDICT: Teahupoo is hard to oppose provided his Cheltenham record and current type, however minor choice on trends 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 journey at Punchestown later on in the same month. He ran well in his only start this season, ending up a close 3rd in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.


He comes to Cheltenham fresh, open up 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 ranked 161+.


- Age: 16 of the last 17 winners were aged 7, eight or nine 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 came from the top 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 pair Fact To File and Impaire Et Passe come out best on patterns. Fact To File was a remarkable winner of the race last year and enters into this in fine kind, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.


However, he is set to go off at brief chances today, so a chance is taken on stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more attractive rate. A classy hurdler, consisting of a Grade One victory as an amateur at the 2023 Festival, he has now won 2 races on top level because changing to the larger challenges. 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 tough to see stablemate Jade De Grugy ending up outside the first two places later the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so three choices are advised.


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