Jane Mangan’s William Hill blog: Cheltenham Festival 2026 Day Three Tips

William Hill ambassador Jane Mangan is back with her best bets on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Cheltenham, Thursday

The Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (1:20pm) has attracted a big field, but it still looks a shootout between Bambino Fever and Outschool Outlaw. I’d been an Outschool Outlaw fan all along, but the confidence behind Bambino Fever from Closutton worries me. They’ve seemed very bullish over the last two weeks and, given her performance in the Champion Bumper last year, I’m going to defect to Bambino Fever. The star bumper mare can become a star hurdler, and I think she has the most upside on drying ground.

The Jack Richards’ Novices’ Handicap Chase (2:00pm) is an intriguing race, and I’m siding with the Grade One-winning Sixmilebridge. He won the Scilly Isles at Sandown last time, he’s won over course and distance, and he was a high-class novice hurdler for Fergal O’Brien. He looks to have improved for fences, I think he is going to be a big player, and I believe he has the class to win the Jack Richards.

Gordon Elliott put this mare up as his banker of the meeting last year, and he’s been extremely confident about her this time around, so my best bet of the day is Wodhooh in the Mares’ Hurdle (2:40pm). She has only been beaten once over hurdles, and that was by the Champion Hurdle winner Lossiemouth. It’s a small field and there’s one star, and that’s Wodhooh.

The Stayers’ Hurdle (3:20pm) has been won by second-season hurdlers seven times in the last 12 renewals, and whilst there are some proper heavyweights in the race, I’m going to side with Honesty Policy. He put in such a display at Aintree last year, and his run at Ascot is right up there when you consider the improvement that could come from him. The heavyweights have the experience, but Honesty Policy has the potential, and I’m with the young horse in the Stayers’.

The Ryanair Chase (4:00pm) has emerged as a more competitive race than most thought, though I still think Fact To File is the likeliest winner. He’s the best horse in the race on all known form following the procession he turned last year’s contest into. If I were to approach the race, I might have a bet without the favourite, and Banbridge appeals from that standpoint. I think he can run a big race on the drying ground, but it’ll be Fact To File to win, with Joseph O’Brien’s King George winner to follow him home.

The Pertemps Final (4:40pm) looks tricky as ever, where I’m siding with Supremely West. He hasn’t been with Dan Skelton very long, having had his first run for the yard back in October, and has shown glimmers of promise in subsequent starts. The confidence coming from the yard is telling; they’ve obviously been protecting his mark, and his form with previous connections is decent. I can see him stepping forward markedly this time around.

The Kim Muir (5:20pm) isn’t a race that particularly interests me, but Kim Roque has caught my eye for the Joseph O’Brien team. He has only had three runs for Joseph, having arrived from France with good novice form. He has course experience, having run here behind Glengouly in the December Gold Cup, and whilst he is still just one from six over fences, there has to be more upside to this horse given who the connections are. They’ve booked John Gleeson, who is an enhancement in an amateur race. He’ll do for me in the finale.