Cheltenham Festival Day 3 – St Patrick’s Day – Tips & Predictions

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For four days in March the racing world centres on the Cotswolds countryside and the famous Cheltenham Festival. This spectacular showpiece is rightfully labelled ‘the greatest show on turf’ and racing does not have anything quite like it for atmosphere, occasion and pure sporting theatre.

Day three is billed as St Patrick’s Thursday, a celebration of Ireland feast-day and the ongoing sporting battle British and Irish trained horses on the Cheltenham turf.

Thursday’s Championship contest is the Stayers’ Hurdle over three-miles, dominated in recent times by stars like Inglis Drever and Big Buck’s.

It is ably supported by the Ryanair Chase, with more Grade 1 action via the Golden Miller Novices’ Chase and three very tough handicaps in the Pertemps Final, the Festival Plate and the Kim Muir Challenge Cup.

Betting Tips & Predictions

It’s day three of four in the Cotswolds as the Cheltenham Festival continues to capture the sporting imagination in what has already proved an exhilarating meeting despite the lack of crowds.

The Stayers’ Hurdle (3.05pm) is the main event on Thursday, while the afternoon begins with the Marsh Novices’ Chase.

Our tipster marks your card for the day three action at Prestbury Park.

Click on the race names below for the latest betting tips and previews.

TIME	RACE TIPS	DISTANCE	PRIZE MONEY
13:20	Marsh Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)	2m4f	£150,000
13:55	The Pertemps Network Final (Listed)	3m	£100,000
14:30	The Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)	2m5f	£350,000
15:05	Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)	3m	£325,000
15:40	The Stable Plate Handicap Chase (Grade 3)	2m5f	£110,000
16:15	Dawn Run Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)	2m1f	£90,000
16:50	The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup	3m2f	£70,000

Day three at the Cheltenham Festival is now commonly celebrated as St Patrick’s Thursday in honour of the hordes of Irish racegoers and connections that descend on the Cotswolds annually. The Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase are the main events on day three.

Race 1 – 13.20 Marsh Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

This race was added to The Festival programme in 2011 and gained Grade 1 status three years later. Eight of the ten runnings have gone to Irish trainers, with Willie Mullins responsible for four of those, including the splendid virtuoso from Vautour in 2015.

YEAR	WINNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
2021	Chantry House	Nicky Henderson	Nico de Boinville	9/1
2020	Samcro	Gordon Elliott	Davy Russell	4/1
2019	Defi Du Seuil	Philip Hobbs	Barry Geraghty	3/1
2018	Shattered Love	Gordon Elliott	Jack Kennedy	4/1

Race 2 – 13:55 The Pertemps Network Final (Listed)

The Pertemps Final is a competitive handicap hurdle and the field is brought together by a series of qualifiers through the season in Britain, Ireland and France. Jonjo O’Neill has trained the winner of this contest on four occasions, though Gordon Elliott is rapidly gaining on that record having won the last three.

YEAR	WINNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
2021	Mrs Milner	P Nolan	BJ Cooper	12/1
2020	Sire Du Berlais	Gordon Elliott	Barry Geraghty	10/1
2019	Sire Du Berlais	Gordon Elliott	Barry Geraghty	4/1
2018	Delta Work	Gordon Elliott	Davy Russell	6/1

Race 3 – 14:30 The Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)

Often viewed as a go-between for horses not fast enough for a Champion Chase and unassured over the Gold Cup stamina-test, the Ryanair Chase has established itself as a much sought-after Grade 1 in its own right and it is the most valuable race on the day three card in terms of prize money.

YEAR	WINNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
2021	Allaho	WP Mullins	Rachael Blackmore	3/1 Fav
2020	Min	Willie Mullins	Paul Townend	2/1
2019	Frodon	Paul Nicholls	Bryony Frost	9/2
2018	Balko des Flos	Henry De Bromhead	Davy Russell	8/1

Race 4 – 15:05 Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

Three-miles for Stayers’ over hurdles on Cheltenham’s New Course is an exacting test and it can seem a long way up the run-in at the end. Some real greats have won this race on multiple occasions, including Inglis Drever (3) and Big Buck’s (4).

YEAR	WINNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
2021	Flooring Porter	GP Cromwell	DE Mullins	12/1
2020	Lisnagar Oscar	Rebecca Curtis	Adam Wedge	50/1
2019	Paisley Park	Emma Lavelle	Aidan Coleman	11/8fav
2018	Penhill	Willie Mullins	Paul Townend	12/1

Race 5 – 15:40 Plate Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

A Grade 3 handicap over two-and-a-half-miles for horses aged five and up, the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase is amongst the most wide open races run over the four days of the Cheltenham Festival.

YEAR	WINNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
2021	The Shunter	Emmet Mullins	JC Gainford	9/4 fav
2020	Simply The Betts	Harry Whittington	Gavin Sheehan	10/3
2019	Siruh Du Lac	Nick Williams	Lizzie Kelly	9/2
2018	The Storyteller	Gordon Elliott	Davy Russell	5/1

Race 6 – 16:15 Dawn Run Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

The newest addition to The Festival programme, this Grade 2 was added to enhance the mares’ programme in 2016 and trainer Willie Mullins has bagged all five renewals.

YEAR	WINNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
2021	Telmesomethinggirl	H de Bromhead	Rachael Blackmore	5/1
2020	Concertista	Willie Mullins	Daryl Jacob	9/2
2019	Eglantine De Seuil	Willie Mullins	Noel Fehily	50/1
2018	Laurina	Willie Mullins	Paul Townend	4/7

Race 7 – 16:50 The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

A race for amateur riders and one in which Jamie Codd has starred with four wins on board Character Building (2009), Junior (2011), The Package (2015), Cause of Causes (2016).

YEAR	WINNER	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
2021	Mount Ida	Mrs D Foster	JW Kennedy	3/1 Fav
2020	Milan Native	Gordon Elliott	Rob James	9/1
2019	Any Second Now	Ted Walsh	Derek O’Connor	6/1
2018	Missed Approach	Warren Greatrex	Noel McParlan	8/1

Betting & Promos for Cheltenham Festival Day 3

Be sure to check out our daily Cheltenham Festival tips from insiders and racing experts on all four days of the iconic Festival.

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