Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Day 3 Tips: Favourite Backers In Clover On Good Day For Punters

1 hour ago

| BY Steve Mullington

Day Three at the Festival this year will be known as St Patrick’s Thursday, with two key races taking place – the Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Steeple Chase.

Without further ado, scroll down to read Steve Mullington’s best bets on Day 3 at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival…

1.20pm The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m

The meteoric rise of BAMBINO FEVER was one of the fairytale stories of the last jumps campaign, and the Willie Mullins-trained mare can give the O’Connell Morgan Syndicate yet another Festival victory.

The mare well and truly knew her hurdling job at Fairyhouse last time, and she can get favourite backers off to a flyer on day three.

2.00pm The Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) 2m4½f

After being a serial non-runner on the account of the ground at the beginning of November, SIXMILEBRIDGE finally got the green light to compete at Ayr and duly won a three-runner 2m4½f beginners’ chase.

His progression has been relentless since, winning at Cheltenham, then landing the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown. He comes into the Festival with a leading chance.

2.40pm The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 4f

With Lossiemouth heading to the Champion Hurdle, the door is now wide open for WODHOOH to land the Mares’ Hurdle, albeit at a short price in our horse racing odds.

After her success in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at last season’s festival, Wodhooh ran well behind Lossiemouth in Grade 1 company at Aintree in April, then opened up this season with a late surgery victory over Celtic Dino, followed by a 2¼ length victory at Leopardstown.

None of her rivals in this race can really hold a flame to her and she’s a confident selection.

3.20pm The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 3m

TEAHUPOO stamped his authority back on the staying division with a dominant performance in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, and holds every chance of recapturing the Stayer’s Hurdle crown he won at Cheltenham in 2024.

The Robcour-owned gelding has firmly established himself as an elite staying hurdler and will be aiming to secure his legacy as a multiple winner at The Festival.

4.00pm The Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) 2m 4f

The JP McManus-owned FACT TO FILE was a nine-length winner of this race last year, but thrust himself into the picture for the Gold Cup with an impressive success in the Irish version, where he left his esteemed stablemate Galopin Des Champs trailing in his wake.

However connections have opted for this race again and he is understandably the hot pot favourite in our sports betting markets.

4.40pm The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle 3m

The Chris Gordon-trained ELECTRIC MASON qualified for the Pertemps final when finishing second at Cheltenham in October and then won a valuable handicap hurdle at Haydock the following month.

Since then, his Cheltenham victor Ma Shantou has well and truly boosted the form after landing the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle on Festival Trials Day.

5.20pm The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ H’cp Chase 3m 2f

HERAKLES WESTWOOD is the perfect spin for any amateur around Prestbury Park and he can make the frame at the very least.

Warren Greatrex’s nine-year-old has become quite the regular at Cheltenham Racecourse, racing there four times out of his last five outings.

He narrowly accounted for Katate Dori in January, and ran a nice race behind Blaze The Way and L’Homme Presse before that which bodes well for a challenging effort here on Thursday.