Cheltenham Thursday Tips: Check out Raceolly's Best Bets for Day 3 of the festival
Our resident tipster RaceOlly is back to provide his best bets for day three of the Cheltenham Festival, and he has some eye-catching selections across Thursday's action...
14:10 - Pertemps Final
I could make a decent case for Ballyandy in this on the back of two recent wins and with a 10lb claimer booked and his solid course form, but I’ve been drawn to one at a bigger price still in IF THE CAP FITS. Two previous runs at the track have been in Graded races and he competed in the Stayers' Hurdle on this card last season where he travelled very stronger before emptying on the home straight.
A Grade 1 winner in 2019 when winning the Stayers' Hurdle at Aintree beating a strong field. He’s got a great racing weight judging on previous winners and has come down from a high of 166 to run here off 137 and the 7lb claimer puts him off 130. Stayed on well last time out at Sandown with the first time blinkers and headgear wearers have a good record in this race too which I found a little interesting although 14 of the 23 do so might not be that useful this year.
14:50 - Ryanair Chase
MELON pulled up in this last season ending his run of placed efforts in Grade 1's here which went on for four years. Still only 10 years old and run as well in his prep runs this season as he has before turning up here previously, and has the pleasure of turning up here with Willie Mullins as his trainer, who has a great record in this (four wins, a second and a third in the last six renewals). Finished just behind the two Gold Cup favourites at Leopardstown over Christmas putting a disappointing festival season behind him and was just 8/1 for this last season in what was arguably a stronger renewal.
15:30 - Stayers' Hurdle
This is another no bet race for me with me sitting on a 12/1 ante-post slip for Thyme Hill. Happy to see they’ve kept him fresh for this and his course form is solid. Placed in the Champion Bumper and would have gone very close when 4th and badly hampered in the Albert Bartlett, won at the track when winning a Grade 2 in 2019 and won the stayers at Aintree last year after missing Cheltenham with a small muscle injury. Solid each way player.
16:10 - Plate Handicap Chase
SLATE HOUSE is a three time course winner including a Grade 2 and would have won a Grade 3 handicap chase here too when falling two out. Placed off this mark twice in three runs lately, but would have won here over course and distance off 15lbs higher and has a great racing weight down the bottom of the handicap, especially handy when taking into account the old rule of looking for horses running off weights under 11 stone in this, only four winners have carried over 11 stone in the last 26 years. Plenty of horses aged 10 have placed in this although only only three winners in over the last 18 years but at 50/1 you’d be very happy if he grabbed a place in this.
16:50 - Mares' Novices' Hurdle
Willie Mullins dominates this race on previous runnings and all his winners were French breds, Dinoblue ticks the boxes, but GRANGEE is out of a French mare and would have gone very close in what’s proven to be a good prep for this when falling last time in the Solerina. Finished 6th here last year in the Champion Bumper that’s worked out well and six-year-olds have won the last two renewals of this. Wouldn’t mind the ground if it’s still a bog
17:30 - Kim Muir Handicap Chase
CHAMBARD is yet to finish out of the first three this season in five runs after a wind op in the summer and Venetia Williams is having a fine festival so far. Hits a fair few trends having been lightly raced over fences with the 10 starts, winning over three miles, winning last time out and rated 135. Plenty of form on soft/heavy ground if things don’t improve by tomorrow and Lucy Turner has a 29% win rate when riding for the yard this season. Good form on undulating tracks and won nicely last time over three miles, looking to finally be getting to the heights he looked like he would hit when winning a Grade 1 bumper in France as a four-year-old.