Cheltenham Festival 2024 - Day 3 Acca
Day Three at the Cheltenham Festival continues the sizzling action, with the seven-race card lit up by a trio of Grade 1 affairs. The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle is the official headline act, but the Ryanair Chase isn’t too far behind in the estimation of racing fans. Elsewhere, we have the pulsating final to the Pertemps Handicap Series and the amateur rider highlight of the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup.
As with Days 1 and 2, here we run through each of the seven races on offer, picking out the best value betting options, with the aim of landing the elusive through-the-card each-way accumulator. Without further ado, we now present the seven stars who will carry our cash on St. Patrick’s Thursday at the greatest meeting in the world. All odds quoted are from Betfred.
1:30 Turners Novices Chase
If the home team are to land one of the Grade 1 Novice events at the meeting, this race undoubtedly represents one of their best chances. Whilst the Irish are always to be feared, Facile Vega hasn’t been anywhere near his best this season, and Gaelic Warrior lost his marbles last time out at Leopardstown.
Iroko is an interesting contender for Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerreiro, having scored at the meeting last year but has had a severely interrupted preparation. The two to focus on are Ginny’s Destiny from the yard of Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning. Grey Dawning likely would have mastered Ginny’s Destiny at this track in December but for a late jumping error but also holds an entry in the Brown Advisory. As such, we will side with Ginny’s Destiny. Rated 3lb higher than 2023 winner Stage Star, he boasts a perfect three-from-three record at Cheltenham and will surely make a bold bid from the front.
- Selection - Ginny’s Destiny @ 5/2
2:10 Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
One of the trickiest handicap puzzles of the meeting up next. The home team look to have a decent hand on paper, led by the classy duo of Chantry House and Monmiral. Dan Skelton’s Le Milos is another to note as he continues to improve from an injury setback, whilst the highly rated White Rhino has a course and distance win to his name.
As likeable as the above quartet are, the Irish have claimed this prize seven times in the last eight years. The one we like best from those making the trip over is Gordon Elliott’s Cleatus Poolaw. A winner over this trip in his Point to Point days, he ran a cracker when attempting to concede 11lbs to Noble Birth (who also has a good chance here) at Naas and likely has much more to offer on only his second start in a handicap.
- Selection - Cleatus Poolaw @ 6/1
2:50 Ryanair Chase
Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge merits the utmost respect in a cracking renewal of the Ryanair but is unlikely to run should the ground be soft on the day. With that appearing to be a real possibility, we will look elsewhere. Stage Star won the Turners over course and distance last season but needs to bounce back from a desperate effort last time out. From the same yard, Hitman looks solid, having finished third in the 2023 edition of this, but the most solid option is last year's winner.
Now based at the yard of Henry De Bromhead, Envoi Allen already has three Cheltenham Festival wins to his name, having bagged the 2019 Champion Bumper and 2020 Ballymore Novices Chase in addition to his win in this. Only beaten a neck by Gold Cup-bound Gerri Colombe in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase, he has been kept fresh since and can go close.
- Selection - Envoi Allen @ 7/2
3:30 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo sits atop the market for the Day Three feature, having run a fine race to finish a close third in the 2023 edition. An impressive winner on his seasonal return at Fairyhouse, he has enjoyed a light campaign and makes obvious appeal. He is, however, pretty short in what looks like a wide-open event.
The 12-year-olds Paisley Park and Sire Du Berlais have both won this before and appeal at bigger prices, but the two we like best are Crambo and Noble Yeats, with narrow preference for the former who, as one of the youngest runners in the field, may be more likely to find a career-best effort on the day.
- Selection - Crambo @ 5/1
4:10 TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
The Jonjo O’Neill-trained Crebilly is proving all the rage in the betting for this competitive affair, with his form behind Ginny’s Desting reading well. He has the talent to go close, but the fact that he has made significant jumping errors in his two previous outings around here is enough to put us off at a skinny price.
Whatever Gordon Elliott saddles on the day will be worth a second look, but attempting to unravel the handicap plans of his vast squadron is no easy task. One who almost certainly will run her is Gavin Cromwell’s Letsbeclearaboutit. This nine-year-old is just shy of top class but has been running with real credit in Graded company this term, stays the trip well, and looks very dangerous dropping back into handicap company.
- Selection - Letsbeclearaboutit @ 10/1
4:50 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
The penultimate race of Day Three may not be the most headline-grabbing of the week but is building up to be an absolute cracker. Plenty of these mares arrive on an upward trajectory, but the trio of Brighterdaysahead, Jade De Grugy, and Dysart Enos all look to have genuine superstar potential.
Brighterdaysahead and Dysart Enos are unbeaten in five and six career outings, while Jade De Grugy is a perfect three from three. We suspect Brightedaysahead may be the strongest stayer of the three, whilst Dysart Enos looks the quickest, but the one to be on is the Willie Mullins-trained Jade De Grugy, who appears to be both speedy and a strong stayer at this trip. Hailing from a yard which has won this more than any other, she can land a thriller.
- Selection - Jade De Grugy @ 2/1
5:30 Fulke Walyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
The British trainers have held their own in this event over the past decade, but we suspect the Irish hold all the aces in 2024. The Gavin Cromwell duo of Inothewayurthinkin and Perceval Legallois appeal as types to go well, and the money for the former may prove ominous. However, he has yet to experience this track and, at around the 7/2 mark, looks too short off top weight.
2023 winner Angels Dawn returns to defend his crown but will need to pull out more from an 11lb higher mark. The one we like best is another horse who scored at last year's meeting - Pertemps Final winner, Good Time Jonny. Hailing from the shrewd Tont Martin operation, this one has shown precisely nothing this term, but such was the case last year, and that didn’t stop him bolting up off a mark of 142. Back to that same rating over fences, he may have been laid out for this.
- Selection - Good Time Jonny @ 15/2
A £1 each way acca pays out £117.81 with Betfred. Seven winners returns a small house, sportscar, extravagant cruise, or £185.668.56, to be precise.
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