Cheltenham Tips: Day 3 Thursday Predictions & Latest Odds
We're halfway through the festival and it's onto Thursday's racing, with my Cheltenham tips for day three, usually the quietest day, but one that holds some excellent racing.
A really nice winner to end yesterday's racing, as The Mourne Rambler (15/2) came home in front to win the bumper thanks to an excellent ride from Colin Keane. He's got a great engine, and as expected, motored up the hill to win really nicely.
Release The Beast (10/1) also showed up well for us to grab a place, adding another return to the Free Bets daily tips.
Cheltenham Day 3 Tips
Seven races again and there's thoughts on every race below, as well as odds from betting sites for the accompanying picks, and as ever, the full race card if you want to see it all in one place.
Just like the last couple of days, we've got plenty of Cheltenham free bets available on site for anyone looking to open a new betting account.
Tip 1 - 1:20pm Cheltenham
A race for small stakes only, I think Bambino Fever is the most likely winner, she'll improve plenty for when she was second behind Oldschool Outlaw, but she's a short price and I'll pass her over from a betting point of view.
Instead, it's small stakes for me on Echoing Silence from the Henry de Bromhead yard. Obviously, he knows how to handle a racing mare, and she's shown a good level of form.
What I also like is that she's won on good ground, this is certainly not going to be too quick for her, like some might argue, and it's a line we've heard from Wednesday racing too.
Form over further, she should be staying on late.
- Echoing Silence (EW) 16/1 with Ladbrokes/Coral (both 4 places)
Tip 2 - 2:00pm Cheltenham
I was hoping to back Regent's Stroll each way this week, and he would have been a strong bet. But a couple of points off the price, he's win only really now for me at the odds, but I can't help sticking with him.
Aside from No Drama This End, the Nicholls horses have been running well this week, and it's a race he knows exactly how to win.
Cadwell Potter did so last year, Nicholls describes Regent's Stroll as having a very similar profile and I couldn't agree more.
He's off 145 but I think he's a 150s horse, at least. Behind Miami Magic when last seen, that horse is now rated 145, and Regent's Stroll was trying to give him 5lb, which he failed to do.
Off to freshen up, we'll see a better version of the horse, and a well handicapped version, I'm hoping it's enough.
- Regent's Stroll 5/1 with bet365/William Hill
Tip 3 - 2:40pm Cheltenham
A disappointing Mares' Hurdle, which was always going to be the case when two good mares went for the Champion Hurdle.
It's a race I can't find a bet in, I'd say Wodhooh is the likeliest winner, but at the prices, not for me.
Tip 4 - 3:20pm Cheltenham
The Stayers Hurdle could be a cracker, I think there's plenty coming in that will fancy their chances and I think there's reasons to be against many of the leading contenders too. It's a race that'll divide opinions.
Ballyburn looks the value in the market to me, I think he's a little overpriced based on his last run, but that came at a time when I don't think the Mullins horses were quite right.
Prior to that run behind Teahupoo, he was behind the same horse, but this time just by a nose, and there's a far bigger gap between the runners in the market than that form line suggests.
The horse carries his head low, but first time headgear looks a good idea to me, and it could really take him forward, giving us a big run at double figures.
- Ballyburn (EW) 13/2 with bet365 (4 places)
Tip 5 - 4:00pm Cheltenham
A race that's all about Fact To File, who comes here looking to repeat what he did last year and win this again, he's odds on to do so.
It's last year I'm looking for my pick, and that is Heart Wood, who was the horse in second chasing home Fact To File last year.
Three runs this year, two easy wins, and one fourth placed effort where for whatever reason, he just wasn't at his best behind Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File.
Henry is all about getting horses spot on for the big day, and at the odds, he's the best each way angle into this race for me.
- Heart Wood (EW) 14/1 with Sky Bet/Paddy Power
Tip 6 - 4:40pm Cheltenham
Typically wide open Pertemps final, and it's right at the bottom of the weights where I'm looking, with Irish raider Minella Emperor the one I've landed on for Emmet Mullins.
Second at Haydock last month, when he came over to Haydock to qualify here. While he needed to go well to get into the race, I do think he's got some left in the tank here for the big day.
He was beaten by five lengths, but has a 7lb swing at the weights, plus an additional 7lb his jockey is claiming, which puts things very much in his favour against that particular runner.
Hugely competitive, he's my dart here.
- Minella Emperor (EW) 16/1 with multiple (many 6 places)
Tip 7 - 5:20pm Cheltenham
I'm not one for favourites in big field Cheltenham handicaps, but I'll make an exception for Jeriko Du Reponet in the Kim Muir to close day three.
He's trained by Nicky Henderson, a man in form, and has Derek O'Connor on his back, one of the best jockeys in this race, which counts for a few pounds.
He's got to carry top weight, but deserves it based on this season's form. He's been around horses that have ran in better races than this one at the festival, Jax Junior (Arkle) Salver (Brown Advisory) and Regent's Stroll (Jack Richards.
I think his form ties in nicely with all of those, making him well handicapped, even though he's at the top of the weights.
- Jeriko Du Reponet 7/2 with bet365
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