Another belting day at the Cheltenham Festival is in the offing on Thursday and we provide a selection for three races on Day 3.
The Cheltenham Festival reaches its third day on Thursday, with the Ryanair and Stayers Hurdle taking centre stage.
Both Teahupo and Protektorat return to defend their crowns on a day that also sees the first running of the new Novice Handicap Chase over two-and-a-half miles.
Lee Sharp has a trio of Cheltenham Festival betting selections on the card, including one in the Stayers Hurdle, one in the opener and another in the Pertemps Network Handicap.
Cheltenham Festival Day 3 tips
13:20 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle – Karoline Banbou 15/2
A full field of 24 go to post in this Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Willie Mullins, who has won this race a total of seven times, is responsible for seven of the runners, and the one that stands out is the five-year-old Karoline Banbou.
A Grade Two bumper winner in France, she went off as the 1/2 favourite at Naas for her hurdles debut, but her jumping was poor that day, which handed the race to stablemate Baby Kate. However, she improved significantly for that run and was an impressive winner next time out.
Owner J P McManus has two in the race, both trained by Willie Mullins, but his retainer Jockey Mark Walsh has chosen to ride this mare. There still looks to be more to come from Karoline Banbou, and she has the potential to reach the very top.
14:40 Pertemps Network Final – Jeriko Du Reponet 13/2
There are 24 runners set to go to post in this Pertemps Network Final Handicap, which takes place over three miles on the New Course. Like many of the handicaps at Cheltenham, it looks extremely competitive on paper. However, this year, there is one standout horse that could be well ahead of his mark – Nicky Henderson’s Jeriko Du Reponet.
He was heavily hyped for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last year, being a 4/1 ante-post favourite well in advance. However, poor stable form and an issue within the yard caused him to drift massively before the race, eventually going off at 11/1 before pulling up. A disappointing effort over fences on his seasonal reappearance led to a return to hurdles. Last year’s misfortune has now presented him with the opportunity to target a handicap and, looking back at the horses he was beating last season, he should be well-handicapped here.
The three horses he beat who stand out are Lump Sum, Fiercely Proud, and Secret Squirrel. They have all won big handicaps this season and are now rated 147, 137, and 133, respectively. Jeriko Du Reponet runs off 135, having placed in a qualifier at Exeter. Based on his form last year, he surely should be rated at least 145. The poor run in the Supreme was not a true reflection of his ability, but it has ultimately worked in his favour for this year’s race.
16:00 Stayers’ Hurdle – Lucky Place 13/2
Teahupoo returns to defend his Stayers’ Hurdle crown, following his typically lightly raced campaign in preparation. He has run just once this season, finishing second to Lossiemouth in December. This approach worked last year, as he went off a strong favourite and won comfortably, making amends for his third-place finish in the race the year before.
The staying hurdle division has looked relatively weak in recent years, but a new contender has emerged who could challenge the favourite – Nicky Henderson’s Lucky Place. He has yet to race over three miles, but he shaped like a strong stayer when winning the Relkeel Hurdle here on New Year’s Day, pulling clear of Gowel Road and Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace. He also stayed on well at this course last year when finishing fourth in the Coral Cup.
With just eight career runs, he is still improving. The step up in trip should bring out the best in him, and he has a strong chance of landing his trainer a first win in this race.