Cheltenham Lucky 15 Tips: Each-Way Selections For Day 3
The Cheltenham Festival of 2025 is now past the half way stage, and Billy Grimshaw once again has a lucky 15 to get stuck into on Thursday at decent odds.
It has been a frustrating week thus far for this column, with plenty of horses well backed but no good and some hard luck stories. Nevertheless, although we are 1-0 down it's only half time, so let's get stuck into day 3 and hopefully pick out some profit.
13:20 Cheltenham - Mares' Novices' Hurdle
I may be looking for something that isn't there in this race, but it doesn't look especially strong and with the record Willie Mullins has of both winning this race a few years back and of his second, third, fourth and even fifth strings hitting the frame at wild prices over the years I am backing a Closutton outsider to kick us off. Come post time if the current market trends carry on Maughreen could be at double figures, which is a damning indictment of punter confidence in poor Patrick who retains the ride. She would be edging into bet territory there for me as she was very well thought of in bumpers and although her debut hurdle win did not warrant her 2/1 quotes to win this antepost, it was a satisfactory performance.
At about four times the price, I'll be siding with MAGIC MCCOLGAN to at least hit the frame with a jockey I absolutely love having onside in Danny Mullins in the plate. Her maiden win looks routine but watch the race back and you'll see it is pretty amazing she managed to come home in front at Punchestown considering how markedly she jumped left as the race developed. Team Mullins will have been hard at work to iron that out before she comes here but she must have some engine to have overcome that defect on her last run, so with this track more favourable as it is left handed I think she can get in the mix.
Sixandahalf has plenty of confidence behind her and probably sets the standard and there are murmurs of confidence behind a few of the Brits, but I'm happy to have a Mullins outsider with Danny onboard running for us and think she'll outrun her odds. He's just won onboard Jimmy Du Seuil as I type this so that won't have done his confidence any harm either!
14:40 Cheltenham - Pertemps Final
As I pen this piece I have just seen Sean O'Keefe give Lecky Watson a smashing ride to win the Brown Advisory - a result which was not good for the overall health of my Festival bank balance - and hopefully he'll still be riding the crest of a wave by the time this race comes around as I am all over his ride here FEETOFADANCER. Paul Nolan won this race back in 2021 with Mrs Milner and the similarities with the way he has programmed this mare are there for all to see.
I wouldn't go as far as to say it was a tender ride she was given last time out at Leopardstown, but it certainly wasn't the be all and end all for the team to get the win that day and the way she travelled into the race for third was very eye-catching indeed. As always in this race there are plot jobs aplenty but one I cannot have is the favourite Jeriko Du Reponet, who seems to be addicted to finding new excuses to not win.
Feetofadancer has almost certainly been aimed at this race and this race alone since before the beginning of the season and I wouldn't be surprised to see more money come for her given the way her yard like a punt, so unlike with our first pick who I could see drifting this one is one to back as soon as you can, providing you're happy with the other three prices in the acca.
16:00 Cheltenham - Stayers' Hurdle
I am sweet on LUCKY PLACE in this race and rather than repeat myself, I'll add a link below to my full race preview in which I make the case to back Nicky Henderson to win this race for the first time since the year 2000...
16:40 Cheltenham - TrustATrader Plate
I'm rowing in with our top tipster @RoadCheltenham here and backing a horse that Gavin Cromwell, who has quite the team this week, nominated as his best chance of glory wherever he popped up in THECOMPANYSERGEANT. Team Cromwell are one of the best in the business for getting a horse onto an attractive mark and after what is best described as a pipe opener on debut for this yard over hurdles, this will be the big day for this horse and I cannot fathom a world in which he is not at least in the frame barring a fall.
He has plenty of back class from his time with Dennis Hogan and is both Grade 2 and 3 placed in his time, and providing we can expect a career best here running off 10st10 with smart 3lbs claimer Conor Stone-Walsh in the plate he has all the attributes of the winner. Jagwar looks his main market rival but I honestly would not be surprised to see this lad go off favourite. Ginny's Destiny is a horse I've backed at a bigger price antepost for this but I've gone off that wager somewhat considering he is clearly better with a bit of give in the surface.
If there's a downpour tomorrow, my confidence in him would of course increase and I'd rate him the chief danger to our final leg.
Billy's Lucky 15
Below we have summarised Billy's Lucky 15 tips and listed his selections with the best odds at the time of writing...
| race | selection | odds |
|---|---|---|
| Mares' Novices' | Magic McColgan | 33/1 |
| Pertemps | Feetofadancer | 8/1 |
| Stayers' Hurdle | Lucky Place | 7/1 |
| Plate | Thecompanysergeant | 8/1 |