CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL TIPS - DAY THREE

The third 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 tips, including a choice, main danger 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 ending up 2nd to the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw on her hurdling debut in December.


That day her rival had the benefit 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 risk to the selection. 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 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 form of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase from Trials Day was given an increase when Quebecois was third in the Ultima on Tuesday.


As a result, his conqueror that day, Jordans Cross, appears well treated from a mark just 6lb higher. He is unfortunate not to be unbeaten in four starts over fences, having actually fallen when travelling well over this course and range at the November conference 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 been boosted by both the winner and third since, and he looks 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 till the final race of last year's Festival to get on the scoresheet with Wodhooh - and she aims to hold outstanding claims of acquiring a very 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 range last season.


A ranking of 154 leaves her 4lb clear of Jade De Grugy, who finished runner-up in this race last year behind Champion Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth. She reverts back from amateur chasing to run here.


Trainer Paul Nolan has actually brought his greatest group yet to the Festival this year and one of his leading hopes is Feet Of A Dancer, who has won two of her 3 starts this season and ended up 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 fourth straight year that Teahupoo has actually objected to the race. Gordon Elliott's nine-year-old has actually completed in the very first 2 on all eight of his starts because December 2023 and produced a career-best performance on rankings when defeating 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 similar course to that star. A seven-length success over the reopposing Impose Toi in the Cleeve Hurdle earned him a rating of 154, but supporters of the runner-up will be hoping a swing in the weights can help him close the gap - or perhaps 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 may have seen the form of his reappearance runner-up effort enhanced 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 begin 132 and looks deserving of the 7lb rise he received. With Ma Shantou now rated 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 three years in succession between 2018 and 2020. He gets here on the back of a career-best 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 actually come without headgear. The cheekpieces are reapplied here. Herakles Westwood might show the biggest threat.


Finny Maguire, who partnered him when completing second 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 come over 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 ended up in the leading 4 last time out. Of those, five won their last race.


- Betting: 15 of the last 17 winners had a starting cost of 14-1 or much shorter. There have been six winning favourites because time.


- Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged 6, 7 or 8 years old.


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


VERDICT: Teahupoo is tough to oppose provided his Cheltenham record and current type, but small 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 when stepped up in trip at Punchestown later in the very same month. He ran well in his only start this season, ending up a close 3rd 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 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, 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 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 trends. Fact To File was an excellent winner of the race in 2015 and enters into this in fine form, having landed the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.


However, he is set to go off at brief chances today, so an opportunity is taken on stablemate IMPAIRE ET PASSE at a more appealing cost. A stylish hurdler, including a Grade One victory as a novice at the 2023 Festival, he has actually now won two races at the leading level given that changing to the bigger obstacles. He completed his preparation for today with a success 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 difficult to see stablemate Jade De Grugy ending up outside the first 2 places in the future the card. The last leg looks the trickiest, so 3 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