The Thursday of the four-day Cheltenham Festival is another relative feast of top-class National Hunt racing to be run on the new course for the first time at this meeting. The feature race is the Ryanair Chase which caters for those who need further than the Champion Chase trip of two miles but don’t necessarily stay the 3 miles and 2 furlongs of the Gold Cup.
It’s backed up by the premier 3-mile hurdle race of the season in the Stayers Hurdle, the intermediate trip novice chase the Jack Richards Novices’ Chase plus the relatively new race the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in which Willie Mullins has an exceptional record.
Three competitive handicaps. which will take some untangling, the Pertemps Network Final, TrustATrader Plate and the day’s finale the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase complete the seven races.
At the time of writing, the 48-hour declarations for the third day of the Cheltenham Festival race schedule are still pending. However, we’ve chosen the horses we recommend shortlisting as day 3 Cheltenham tips for each race during this thrilling third day of racing. Be sure to visit Punters Lounge every day throughout the festival for the best Cheltenham tips and our expert horse racing insights.
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Cheltenham Day 3 Tips
13:20 – Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 2 novice hurdle for mares run over a distance of 2 miles and 179 yards on the new course. The race was first run in 2016 when the meeting was extended to 28 races with Ireland winning six of the 8 renewals so far. Willie Mullins taking five of those for the Emerald Isle. This year’s renewal looks like a cracker with three potentially smart mares facing off.
Willie Mullins’s Maughreen is related on her mother’s side to the great Faughreen and although not impressing all made a winning hurdling debut at Punchestown Races in January in a maiden hurdle. She’s hard to assess but remains unbeaten having also won a bumper last season and must be respected for her top connections.
Mullins also has a couple more mares in Karoline Banbou and Aurora Vega in his care who have shown themselves to be above average. The former impressed when winning a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle in February and runs in the green and yellow silks of J P McManus whilst the latter is already a three-time winner this season in novice company including in grade 3 company last time out at Fairyhouse. Mullins has a good record in this relatively new event and his runners will no doubt be involved at the business end.
Fellow Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell has a smart mare in Sixandahalf, a useful flat performer who made a dazzling hurdling debut in a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle in January and has been popular in the market for this race ever since. She is very much a player here.
The best of the home team may turn out to be the Paul Nicholls-trained Jubilee Alpha who was last seen winning at Windsor in February and is a mare on an upward curve so certainly worth considering for Cheltenham day 3 predictions.
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14:00 – Jack Richards Novices’ Chase
The Jack Richards Novices’ Chase is a Grade 2 handicap chase run over a distance of 2 miles, 3 furlongs, and 168 yards on the new course. The race is open to novice chasers aged five years or older and appeals to those who may find the distance of the Arkle Chase of two miles on the sharp side and the 3M distance of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase stretching their stamina.
A new race for this season. J P McManus loves nothing more than a winner of two at Cheltenham and his Jagwar appears to have been aimed at the limited handicap for dual trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero. He’s won three of his four starts over fences including last time out when scoring over course and distance at the trials meeting in January. A 7lb rise for that should put him comfortably in the race.
One horse who has been favourably mentioned by his trainer Gavin Cromwell recently is Thecompanysergeant who represents good each-way value if his trainer is to be believed. Cromwell has only had the horse for one run in which he ran well in a handicap hurdle and the step-back chasing looks likely to be very much in his favour.
Joseph O’Brien’s Nurbugring is a decent enough hurdler who has kept good company in three starts over fences without setting the world alight so may be allotted a fair enough mark. He was fourth in last year’s Triumph Hurdle here so has a touch of class about him.
Willie Mullins has an interesting contender in the shape of Asian Master who will be making his handicap debut following two runs over the larger obstacles and doesn’t look too badly handicapped off of a mark of 144.
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14:40 – Pertemps Network Final
The Pertemps Network Final is a Premier Handicap Hurdle run over a distance of 2 miles, 7 furlongs and 213 yards of the new course. Runners here have to have qualified over a series of qualifiers throughout the season held in both Britain and Ireland in which they would have had to have finished in the first four.
The race was first run in 1974 with its latest sponsor Pertemps having been at the helm since 2002. Willie Wumpkins won the race for a record three times on the bounce between 1979-1981. Here are a few of the horses we think are worth considering for the Cheltenham Festival day 3 tips.
J P McManus loves nothing more than winning a handicap at Cheltenham and one of his representatives is likely to be the Nicky Henderson-trained Jeriko De Reponet, now qualified following his eye-catching third in an Exeter races qualifier in February so is worthy of being a potential pick for our Cheltenham tips for Thursday. He has a big reputation, and it would be no shock were he to feature in what is likely to be a big field.
McManus could be mob-handed in the race as he also has the winner of the best trial for the race, the Leopardstown Racecourse qualifier run at Christmas, in the Padraig Roche-trained Win Some Lose Some. He has few miles on the clock, and this will be only his tenth career start.
Nicky Henderson is likely to saddle a lively outsider in Shanagh Bob who qualified with a good second placing at Huntingdon in January behind Super Survivor and got his fifth qualifying run over hurdles (which is needed under the new rules this season) a fortnight later.
D Art D Art is another possible from Ireland. Trained by the more than capable Tommy Cooper, he qualified for this with a fine second spot at Carlisle Racecourse back in December and despite a 5lb rise in the weights appears to have been laid out for this.
Gavin Cromwell’s Will The Wise won a qualifier at Naas in late February and is yet another who could have a say in the finish of this highly competitive handicap.
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15:20 – Ryanair Steeple Chase
The Ryanair Chase is one of the two feature races on day three (alongside the Stayers’ Hurdle) and is a Grade 1 contest run over a distance of 2 miles, 4 furlongs and 127 yards of the new course. The race attracts those who find the half-a-mile shorter Queen Mother Champion Chase on the short side and the Gold Cup stretching their stamina.
The race was added to the schedule back in 2005 when the meeting was extended to four days. Willie Mullins has won the race five times with both Allaho and Albertas Run winning the race twice so any horse he puts forward is worth looking at as a potential Thursday Cheltenham tips option.
Willie Mullins’s Fact To File is likely to run here over the shorter trip than take on his illustrious stablemate Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup over an extra five furlongs and if he does will no doubt be the one they have to beat.
The odds-on winner of last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at this meeting, he started his second season fencing by beating Galopin Des champs in the Grade 1 John Durkin Memorial Chase at Punchestown before getting beaten twice by his classy stable mate. Dropping back in trip looks like the way to go for him and he’ll be a tough one to beat.
Venetia Williams’s Djelo is an improving seven-year-old who is actually rated the same as Fact To File and following his impressive win over 3M in the Denman Chase at Newbury Racecourse in February looks solid each-way value dropping back in trip.
The most interesting runner, was he to run, is the French-trained Il Est Francais who has one way of running and that’s fast and from the front. This up-and-down track may not be ideal, but his participation would make the race even more intriguing.
Last year’s winner Protektorat is back to defend his title, and although this looks a stronger heat this time around, should not be dismissed for the Skeltons.
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16:00 – Stayers’ Hurdle
The Stayers’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle run over a distance of 2 miles, 7 furlongs and 213 yards of the new course. It is for the best staying hurdlers from Britain and Ireland with the winner holding court as the best staying hurdler around.
It was first run in 2012 with Paul Nicholls the leading trainer in the race with four victories which all came between 2009 and 2012 with one of the best stayers of all time in Big Bucks.
We haven’t seen much of warm favourite Teahupoo this season with just the one outing back in December at Fairyhouse over an inadequate 2M 4F when outspeeded over the last by the smart mare Lossiemouth going down by 3 3/4L.
There was no disgrace in that defeat at that trip. He’s all about stamina as he showed when winning this race last year for trainer Gordon Elliot and jockey Jack Kennedy by just under 4L from Flooring Porter when very well backed. He pleased his connections in a recent away day to Navan and is the one they all have to beat with hopefully Jack Kennedy back from yet another leg break doing the steering. The only negative against him would be where the ground to dry out significantly.
Nicky Henderson leads the home challenge with his improving Lucky Place who’s won two Grade 2’s this season at around 2M 4F and is going into the unknown stepping up to three miles for the first time. If he stays this longer trip, he could be the one to give favourite Teahupoo the most to do.
Home By The Lee ran out a 6L winner of the Savills Hurdle over 3M at Leopardstown at Christmas and brings the best staying form of the season to the table for dual-purpose handler Joseph O’Brien. He ran third in this last year, some 6L behind Teahupoo who if in the same form appears to have solid claims of backing up last year’s victory.
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16:40 – TrustATrader Plate
The TrustAtrader Plate is a Premier Handicap Chase run over a distance of 2 miles, 4 furlongs and 127 yards of the new course. First run in 1951 it is always a highly competitive handicap in which novices do extremely well in. The leading trainers with four winners apiece are Bobby Renton, Nicky Henderson and Martin Pipe.
Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Jagwar has two options this week and if running here would have every chance although one feels he’ll end up in the Novices Handicap Chase earlier on the card.
The O’Neills also have the progressive Springwell Bay who bolted up over course and distance on New Year’s Day and if taking this route (he’s another also in the Novices Handicap Chase) can run well.
Paul Nicholls may be sending only a small team this year, but his Ginny’s Destiny loves this track, and the drying ground will suit. He’s been out of form this season but has dropped 6lb in the weights so shouldn’t be dismissed easily.
Dan Skelton is assembling a strong team for Cheltenham including Panic Attack who was well backed when winning at Windsor in January prior to running well back over hurdles. He can be competitive in what is likely to be a fast run big field handicap chase.
Alan King could run his Masaccio, a novice who’s run well in all four starts this season in novice company and could be a player here if taking this option ahead of the 2M 4F novice handicap chase or the Ultima earlier in the meeting.
Gordon Elliott has left his smart novice Firefox in the race and is another who has definite claims if opting for this ahead of his other engagements.
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17:20 – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup is a Handicap Chase for amateur riders run over a distance of 3 miles and 2 furlongs of the new course. First run in 1946, it is named in memory of trainer Fulke Walwyn whose 211 wins at Cheltenham included 40 at the Festival.
The race is one of just three at the Festival open only to amateur riders with the other two being the St James’s Place Hunters Chase and the National Hunt Chase.
JP McManus loves a winner in a Cheltenham Festival handicap and his Johnnywho has shown promise in four novice chases and stays well so could easily be one with claims in this amateur rider’s handicap chase.
McManus also owns the Willie Mullins-trained Sa Majeste who is another novice who’s won two of his four starts over the larger obstacles at Fairyhouse and Tipperary.
Another Irish trainer who will expect a big run from his representative is J P Flavin’s Midnight Our Fred. A consistent sort he was last seen when runner up in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Nine Graces is also worth a mention for the Barry Connell stable. He impressed when winning at Punchestown in January under useful Irish amateur Finian Maguire who would be a good booking for this eight-year-old mare.
Gary Brown’s Walking On Air would probably have won the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase at Doncaster last time but for a last fence fall and even with a 4lb rise holds claims if creeping into the bottom of the handicap.
Gavin Cromwell landed a big punt in this last year with Inothewayurthinkin and his representative novice Mint Boy must be respected on only his fifth run over fences.
Git Maker, trained at Lambourn by Jamie Snowden, chased home Inothewayurthinkin twelve months ago and it would be no surprise were he to run well although his best form has come on soft ground.
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Thursday’s Racecards at Cheltenham
