DAY three of The Cheltenham Festival features the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle in which twelve-year-old Paisley Park is running in his sixth Stayers’ Hurdle and another twelve-year-old Sire de Berlais is returning after his 2023 success. They are up against much younger rivals like Teahupoo and Crambo in a fascinating renewal.
Thursday’s card looks very competitive and there are plenty of each way opportunities for sure. In the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle White Rhino Unibet 12/1 is currently a reserve and if he gets in the race, he is worth an each way play, as I marked him up in one of my ante-post Cheltenham Festival blogs.
Enjoy whether at the racecourse or watching #athome on ITV Racing and Racing TV.
See you at Cheltenham.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
1.30 Cheltenham – Turners Novices Chase Grade 1 (2m 4f)
Grey Dawning (nap) looked like he was going to run in the Brown Advisory and then trainer Dan Skelton declared that the Turners over the shorter trip was the target. After looking like he needed his first run of the season at Exeter, he’s done nothing but improve, panning last year’s National Hunt Chase winner Galliard du Mesnil at Haydock and would surely have won but for a stopping mistake two out at Cheltenham in December. The fact he was able to rally so strongly up the hill to be beaten just ¾l by Ginny’s Destiny (to whom he was conceding 3lb) was testament to his courage. It all fell in his lap at Warwick when beating Apples Away by 14l in the Hampton Novices’ Chase but he couldn’t have impressed anymore and was strong at the finish. Late errors two out and at the last suggest a slight lack of concentration but he’s learning all the time. The handicapper took him from a mark of 144 to 153 after that success, he is stepping up every time and he has a really strong chance here.
2.10 Cheltenham – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (3m)
Farouk D’Alene has got the steadier of twelve stone on his back but before you turn away, just remember how easily he was travelling when he came down in the Brown Advisory last year. An early fall in the Troytown on his first start this season pretty much sealed his fate, and it was back to hurdles at Christmas where he was only beaten a neck by Gaoth Chuil in a qualifier for this. Rob James is taking a useful 7lb off his burden and he looks a good each-way bet on ground that will suit.
Le Milos has been campaigned over hurdles so far this season and he was marked up in my Unibet blog last time on his most recent appearance at Ascot when thirteenth of 16 to Mothill. He travelled well until asked for a final effort and was definitely not given a hard ride. He gave every indication that day he will step up considerably on his next start and this smart chaser rated 150 looks a danger here off a mark of 142 over hurdles with ground all in his favour.
3.30 Cheltenham – The Stayers’ Hurdle Grade 1 (3m)
Teahupoo was an unlucky third in the Stayers’ last year for many when hampered by Dashel Drasher and some feel he would have won, however although the debate rages on he has a terrific chance to gain compensation.
Kept fresh for this after his win in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse in December, which is key, he stays well in soft ground and just looks a cut above most of these for the Henry de Bromhead team. A big chance.
Paisley Park is a remarkable twelve-year-old who is running in his sixth Stayers’ Hurdle with form figures of 1,7,3,3,7 and it can easily be argued this season that he has performed at his most consistent level for a few years. He has been second in all his three appearances this campaign, when beaten a head by Dashel Drasher giving 6lbs at Newbury, then Crambo just took the lead near the line to win by short head at Ascot and most recently on Festival Trials Day Paisley Park just lost out to Noble Yeats by a head giving the Grand National winner 6lbs. Last year the ground was soft and testing in the Stayers’, whereas at the current time the conditions don’t look like being so attritional and this very popular veteran will run a big race.
4.10 Cheltenham – The TrustATrader Plate (2m 4f)
Theatre Man looked like he might go for the Ultima, however this test will suit him much better, with a fast run 2m 4f ideal as regards stretching his stamina out just enough. Take a look at his excellent second to Ginny’s Destiny in the usually red-hot Timeform handicap on Trials Day, which looks a really solid piece of form. He stayed on with gusto all the way up the hill to chase the winner home after being fifth on the home turn and he was running all the way to the line 2m 4½f. On his previous start he was third to Brave Kingdom at Newbury over 2m 7½f after leading at the last and looking to not quite see our the trip.
There’s surely more to come from him as a chaser and as long as he doesn’t get lost in the middle of this bigger field, he is sure to be coming home strongly again.
5.30 Cheltenham – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (3m 2f)
Whacker Clan has been in my notebook since winning at the October meeting at Cheltenham and rewatching that race has confirmed that he has to have a good chance in a notoriously difficult race to assess. On that occasion he led from start to finish and when challenged on the run in gamely moved clear to beat Twig (second in the Ultima) by 3 lengths, with Wayfinder back in third and his more fancied stablemate Amarite in fourth. Whacker Clan won on good to soft ground with only five finishers from thirteen starters, as interestingly the rest of the field pulled out indicating they couldn’t keep up with his prominent running style.
Trainer Henry de Bromhead indicated that this would be the plan and this lightly raced type has only had one appearance since then in a handicap hurdle at Naas last month when seventh in ground that was too soft for him.
He won off a mark of 125 in October, which was raised to 131 after that victory in October and his prominent running style can see him run a big race providing the ground isn’t too testing.
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