Cheltenham Preview Day Three

A Good day Wednesday with plenty of winners mentioned, including The New Lion who won at 3/1, Lecky Watson who won at 20/1, Jimmy Du Seuil who won at 16/1, and Bambino Fever who won at 4/1

Thursday

This is probably the best day, in my opinion, of the festival, often called St. Patrick’s Thursday. One of my biggest fancies all week runs in the Ryanair Chase

1.20 Mares Novices Hurdle

This is an extremely competitive race with some potential class acts. Willie Mullins is well represented by Maughreen who is out of the famous superstar, Faugheen, while Aurora Vega also has a nice pedigree as his mother was the outstanding Quavega. Both of these mares need respect, in particular Maughreen who has shown in the past she can win races fairly easily. Gavin Cromwell comes here with the favourite, Sixandahalf, who has only had one run over hurdles, but I think she’s the one to beat. Fine form while racing at flat level and the way she won on her hurdling debut was impressive. She’s probably Cromwell’s best chance this week, and no doubt they can afford to be confident.

2.00 Jack Richards Handicap Chase

The Paul Nicholls-trained Caldwell Potter goes here, his first time stepping into handicap company. This horse was bought for a whopping € 740,000 for the new owners, which include Sir Alex Ferguson. He has no doubt been poor in recent races, but he is easing in class, and the key to this horse is the ground where he needs a nice bit of cut on the day, which is likely. One of last year’s exciting hurdlers was Firefox, who is now stepping into handicap level for the first time; he could easily have untapped potential for the Elliot yard. Terence O`Brien is a small trainer in Cork who doesn’t have a huge number of horses but one of his most talented is Answer to Kayf, who often front runs. Although he’s gone up 15 pounds in the weight, a 3-pound claimer is set to take the ride.

2.40 Pertemps Hurdle

A large field here with 20-plus runners, a tough one to call, but I do fancy D Art D Art, who has been campaigned for this race all season. 20/1 two weeks ago, his odds have halved, which backs up that there is confidence behind Tom Cooper’s horse. One of the most in-form conditional jockeys in Ireland is booked with Tiernan Power Roache taking the rise, and he should be bang there at the finish. Jeriko Du Reponet is obviously held in high regard, but he has his fair share of quirks. First-time cheekpieces could do the trick this time around, with those famous colours always a threat in big field handicaps. J`ai Froid seems overpriced here, coming from a small stable, he’s definitely going under the radar. I expect him to outrun his odds of 33/1.

3.20 Ryanair Chase

This is one race in which I have had great success over the years. Last year, my each way NAP of the festival was Protektorat and he won nicely at 9/1. He goes here and has done nothing wrong all season but I think he could be vulnerable to another front-running type. This is my NAP of the whole week, I think if all goes to plan, he won’t see another horse, until after the race…. IL Est Francais is a complete speedster who has shown when attacking his fences he is a serious horse. Unlucky in the King George over Christmas, he was second to Banbridge even though he stretched 20 lengths clear at one stage. That race was ran over three miles, whereas this is two and a half. I think he could be very hard to catch if he adopts his usual tactics, which, according to trainer Tom George, will be the case, although they will hope to be more patient than in the last outing. I do love a good front runner, and this is it; he’s one of the best chances of the week, and for that reason, I will be cheering on IL Est Francais. If he was trained by Gordan Elliot or Willie Mullins, all the rage would be about him but that’s not the case. It could be after the race! Currently at odds of 3/1, he could be a cracking bet.

4.00 Stayers Hurdle

Another cracker of a race here; this should be an intriguing watch. Teahupoo heads the market for Gordan Elliot, but he’s only had one run this season, even though he’s the defending champ. Running in this for the third time is Home by the Lee, who I feel has a great chance. Usually strong at the finish, there’s no reason why he can’t be bang there for his shrewd trainer, Joseph O’Brien. At massive odds, runs Bob Olinger, who is always consistent, and he has an outstanding record when racing at Cheltenham. He looks overpriced and should run well at odds of 16/1. Many pundits fancy The Wallpark here in the JP colours, he’s certainly one to consider, but it could be worth siding with Home by the Lee, who could bring glory back to the banks of the Lee in County Cork, where connections hail from.

4.40 Plate Handicap Chase

Paul Nolan’s horse An pheann dearg looked very good when winning at the Dublin Racing Festival but a 12-pound rise in the weights could halt his victory plans. The Harry Redknapp-owned Shakemuparry runs here and looks promising, especially at the odds. A winner at the festival last year, he’s been running below par this season, but this has been the aim for some time now, and he could easily run well. The Alex Ferguson owned IL Ridoto also has a good chance at generous odds; he has ran in the last two renewals but has come up short. If there’s little rain, he could have a huge say with first-time blinkers potentially working in his favour.

5.20 Kim Muir Challenge Cup

A large field here with only amateur jockeys taking their place. I have been a big fan of Yeah Man for some time now; He’s a classy horse who relishes long-distance racing. Running in the last two renewals of the Grand National trial race, and it’s clear he’s held in high regard with him potentially competing in the Grand National this year. He’s 14/1 currently, which springs a surprise as I think he should be much shorter. Johnnywho will be popular with punters, but his jumping needs to improve massively if he’s going to stake a claim here. Git Maker has proved he does have a big engine, but similar to Johnnywho, he will have to brush up on his jumping.

Best Bet for Day 3: IL Est Francais

Be sure to check in tomorrow, with the Gold Cup taking place. Always remember to gamble responsibly