Day 3 at Cheltenham: Tips and Predictions for St Patrick's Thursday at the Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is in full swing and the third day looks like being another cracker, with Grade 1 races everywhere you look. Wednesday was packed with drama as Champion Chase odds-on favourite El Fabiolo was pulled up, while Willie Mullins made it a century of winners at the Gloucestershire venue, by collecting yet another Champion Bumper/
Another superb day is in store at the Prestbury venue and the racing switches from the Old course to the New course for the last two days, traditionally putting more emphasis on stamina.
Here's our race-by-race look at Day 3, which runs from 1:30 - 5:30pm on Thursday afternoon and is headlined by the Stayers’ Hurdle at 3:30pm.
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Cheltenham Day 3 Tips
13:30 - Turners Novices’ Chase (Grade 1, 2m6½f)
The first of the Grade 1s kicks off the action on Thursday and GINNY’S DESTINY appears to have outstanding claims of emulating last year’s winner and stablemate, Stage Star.
Ginny’s Destiny won the same handicap chase on Trials day here in January that Stage Star had won on his way to landing this race and he did it in a similar style, too. He jumped well in front and dominated the race under a big weight, scoring in a good time for a handicap.
Further improvement will evidently be needed now that he is upped in class, especially as Grey Dawning reopposes and they would have been close rivals here two runs ago but for a mistake at a crucial stage from the latter. However, Ginny’s Destiny is improving quicker.
Selection: Ginny’s Destiny
14:10 - Pertemps Network Final (Premier Handicap, 3m)
Gordon Elliott loves a winner in the Pertemps and he saddles CLEATUS POOLAW, who is still lightly raced and improving, so could be a step ahead of the handicapper.
The six-year-old broke his maiden only in January and wasn’t even qualified for this race before his last run back at that track. That was only 18 days ago and Cleatus Poolaw did well to finish second on his first start over a staying distance.
He was a point-to-point winner over three miles, so looks certain to find further improvement now that he is upped to the distance for the first time under rules and a mark of 139 might underestimate his ability.
Selection: Cleatus Poolaw
14:50 - Ryanair Chase (Grade 1, 2m41/2f)
The main supporting race on Thursday comes up next and it provides BANBRIDGE with a golden opportunity to prove that he is the outstanding performer at this distance.
Banbridge chased home El Fabiolo when second over 2m1f at Leopardstown last February and has since gone unbeaten in two outings since stepping back up to this intermediate trip.
He kept on well to land a Grade 1 at Aintree on his final start last season and returned from a long absence to produce an even more impressive display in a hot race at Kempton last time.
A reproduction of that form would give Banbridge a huge chance and he might even improve from that run, given it was his first of the year.
Selection: Banbridge
15:30 - Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1, 3m)
Crambo has a good chance of giving Fergal O’Brien his biggest success yet, but the one who appears to have been overlooked in the market is last year’s winner SIRE DU BERLAIS.
He has a superb record over course and distance and has won two Pertemps Finals as well as a Stayers’ Hurdle, so is a bit of a Festival legend.
Age is catching up with him now and he is 12 years old, but this doesn’t look like a much stronger race than the one that he landed at the track last season and he hasn’t had a lot of racing since.
He has been trained with a return to this meeting in mind and could spring a surprise.
Selection: Sire Du Berlais
16:10 - TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap, 2m4½f)
Ginny’s Destiny is a strong fancy for the opening Grade 1 Turners and THEATRE MAN appears to have a huge chance judging on his second to that rival here last time.
He was outpaced at a crucial stage on that occasion and had to come from fifth at the second-last to take the runner-up spot near the line. That shows he has a lot of ability now that he has learned to settle and it is course-and-distance form, so we know he likes it here.
A 3lb rise in the weights doesn’t look too harsh given that the winner is one of the favourites for the opener and a reproduction of that form might be good enough for Theatre Man.
Selection: Theatre Man
16:50 - Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2, 2m1f)
There has been a lot of talk about BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD coming into this race and, if she is as good as trainer Gordon Elliott seems to think, she should do the business here.
Elliott has named her as possibly the best horse in his stable and Brighterdaysahead has done little to dissuade you from believing that. She is unbeaten in five starts and looked like a top-class mare when winning at Navan last time.
The recent rain is also in her favour and she should prove too good.
Selection: Brighterdaysahead
17:30 - Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase (3m2f)
Henry De Bromhead has already been among the winners this week and he can take out the finale with the course winner, WHACKER CLAN.
There was a lot to like about the way this eight-year-old beat Tuesday’s Ultima runner-up, Twig, at the course in October and he can be forgiven a defeat at Naas subsequently.
Whacker Clan will have been trained with a return to this course in mind and John Gleeson is a positive jockey booking.
Selection: Whacker Clan
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