It’s Day Three of Cheltenham Festival which means we’re over halfway through, but that won’t take any excitement away from racegoers who are likely to be in strong spirits.
The race to kickstart the day is the Turners Novices’ Chase featuring nine horses with the clear favourite for this one being Mighty Potter, who at 10/11 will be many punters’ pick to win. Jockey Davy Russell has not yet had a winning horse at Cheltenham so will be looking for a change of fortune this time around, with Galvin coming closest in the Cross Country Chase at 16:10 this afternoon. Appreciate It, ridden by Paul Townend, has the next highest odds at 10/3 but many don’t see any other horse winning than Mighty Potter.
The second race of the day is the Pertemps Network Final, which is a much more open race when it comes to picking a winner, with both Thanksforthehelp (7/2) and Maxxum (5/1) looking the strongest favourites out of 23 horses to come out on top, jockeyed by Mark Walsh and Davy Russell respectively, neither of whom have had a winning horse so far.
Onto the third event, another nine horse race in the form of the Ryanair Chase, and there is another clear favourite in the form of Shishkin at 8/11, jockeyed by Nico de Boinville, who jockeyed Constitution Hill to a resounding victory in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, and will be looking for another win today, with the closest competitor being Janidil (11/2) jockeyed by Mark Walsh.
Race number four takes place at 15:30, the Stayers Hurdle has no clear favourite with 11 horses competing. Teahupoo (5/2) and Blazing Khal (7/2) are likely to be the most common picks for punters going into this race, with Davy Russell jockeying his third race of the day and Philip Byrnes only his third of the entire festival. This is likely to be another close one to call.
Magners Plate is the fifth race of the day at 16:10, with Mark Walsh and Michael O’Sullivan’s horses looking the favourites out of 24, So Scottish is a narrow favourite at 4/1, while Haut En Couleurs has odds of 13/2, with an honourable mention to Il Ridoto at 15/2. O’Sullivan has already had two winning horses at Cheltenham so far with Marine Nationale taking the first win of the festival in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and Jazzy Matty winning later that day in the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. There is no doubt he’ll be confident of another here.
The penultimate race of the day is the Jack De Bromhead Mares Novices’ Hurdle, and with 21 horses, there are two clear favourites, Luccia, jockeyed by Nico de Boinville comes in at 6/4 as the more favourable option, however Paul Townend’s horse Lot of Joy, could potentially throw a spanner in the works at 5/1, with the Foxy Girl the third favourite at 10/1, jockeyed by Rachael Blackmore who won the Mares Hurdle with an emotional win in Honeysuckle’s last career race on Tuesday.
The final race of the day at 17:30 is the 24 horse race ‘the Kim Muir Challenge Cup’ could be the closest race of the day, with five horses with odds better than10/1. Stumptown (9/2) and Mr Incredible (11/2) are the most favourable picks respectively jockeyed by Barry O’Neill and Patrick Mullins, the latter of whom won with Gaillard Du Mensil on Tuesday in the National Hunt Chase. Nevertheless, Dunboyne (7/1), Angels Dawn (7/1) and Beauport (9/1) are all close contenders for the two most-favoured to be wary of in a race that could leave many punters delighted, and many devastated.
Whatever happens, whoever wins, it promises to be a thrilling day of horse racing and you definitely won’t want to miss it.
