Experts' Best Bets: Cheltenham Festival Day 3 tips with Enda McElhinney

The third afternoon of the Cheltenham Festival comes along on Thursday as the big show in the Cotswolds skips beyond the halfway stage.

The day three fare is highlighted by a mid-afternoon trio of Grade 1s via the Mares’ Hurdle, Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase, as well as opening up with one of the best-backed horses of the meeting.

The Racing Post’s Enda McElhinney supplies race-by-race expert picks for day three of the Cheltenham Festival.

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1:20 – Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

Experts’ Best Bet: Carrigmoornaspruce

Last year’s Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever comes back with a rock-solid chance and is being touted as an Irish banker. She may well be just that but the price is incredibly short. CARRIGMOORNASPRUCE is a viable alternative at double-figure odds for trainer Declan Queally. She was smart in bumpers, has progressed in each of three hurdles starts and was second in a Leopardstown Grade 1 against geldings over Christmas, coming home strongly under a patient ride. She can come up the hill to mount a challenge here.

2.00 – Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) (NAP)

Experts’ Best Bet: Sixmilebridge

Overlooking former Supreme Novices’ winner Slade Steel is not easy but Fergal O’Brien’s thirst for a festival winner here could be satisfied by SIXMILEBRIDGE. He’s a graded novice hurdle winner here and while he toiled in the Turners last March, he’s proving quite the talent since going chasing and remains unbeaten having landed the Grade 1 Scilly Isles at Sandown last time. He has won here over fences already and a mark of 150 is within range. Few winners will get a bigger cheer should he hand Gloucestershire resident O’Brien a maiden success on this stage.

2.40 – Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

Experts’ Best Bet: Wodhooh

There doesn’t seem much upside in opposing WODHOOH for Gordon Elliott after Lossiemouth defected and won the Champion Hurdle instead of trying for a third win in this race. Victorious in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle here last March, Elliott’s mare pushed Lossiemouth hard in the Aintree Hurdle after and is 2-2 this season in straightforward fashion, seeing off a couple of these rivals at Leopardstown last time. Jade De Grugy was second in this a year ago but has been chasing so far this season.

3.20 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

Experts’ Best Bet: Kabral Du Mathan

Impressive Cleeve Hurdle winners do well in this race and Ma Shantou was the antepost pick for me after his Trials Day win in that contest but it now looks ominous that Dan Skelton has declared KABRAL DU MATHAN. The champion trainer-elect fought with himself about taking a chance here, often protesting he might wait for Aintree, but has eventually acceded to his better judgement. This rapidly progressive young star won the Relkeel in good style here on New Year’s Day and could emulate Big Buck’s and Flooring Porter by winning this at age six. Indeed, he could follow their lead and win it more than once based on what he’s been doing lately.

4.00 – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)

Experts’ Best Bet: Impaire Et Passe

Defending champ Fact To File carries strong hopes again after his Irish Gold Cup win but he’s had three hard races and his career record shows he was beaten-favourite or second-favourite seven times, while his romp here last March was followed by a dismal showing at Punchestown. The popular Jonbon can go well but IMPAIRE ET PASSE is another Willie Mullins second string of major note. He’s got lots of class, is a Festival winner here over hurdles, has low miles on the clock over fences and looked on very good terms with himself in his comeback win at Gowran Park. He’s a very fresh horse and can mount a mighty challenge for Paul Townend.

4.40 – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)

Experts’ Best Bet: C’est Different

A fiendish handicap but one in which C’EST DIFFERENT could carry on his winning spree for trainer Sam Thomas. The six-year-old won a qualifier for this at Market Rasen in November on seasonal bow, very readily, and followed up in smooth fashion at Newbury in January in a race that worked out well. He’s gone up 10lb to a mark of 131 but that might not be enough to ground him.

5.20 – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase

Experts’ Best Bet: Sandor Clegane

A full field of 24 runners for the finale. Top-weight Jeriko Du Reponet should give a good account but does have 12st to concern himself. SANDOR CLEGANE has always presented as a dour stayer. Paul Nolan’s charge perhaps hasn’t fulfilled the early potential he showed but he was third here in the Albert Bartlett in 2023 and fourth, beaten just 10-lengths, as Fact To File won the Brown Advisory in 2024. He also ran well in the Coral Cup last March over a trip as short as he’d want. That was off 147 and he’s 9lb lower over fences now. He has not threatened but hasn’t disgraced himself this season and, in first-time cheekpieces, this might all just unfold slowly enough for him to creep through and get there.

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