The third day of the Cheltenham Festival features a classy renewal of the Stayers’ Hurdle with many of the runners very closely matched. In contrast, in the Ryanair, Allaho is heavily odds on at 4/7 with Unibet and if Conflated steps up from his Dublin Festival performance he will at least make a race of it but it looks difficult to see him beating the favourite.
Enjoy whether at Cheltenham or #athome watching on ITV Racing and Racing TV.
2.10 Pertemps Handicap Hurdle 2m 7f
Sire Du Berlais (nap) performs best in the spring and whilst it is possible age might be catching up with this ten-year-old, he has an excellent Festival record of 4112, which includes two Pertemps wins and a second in the Stayers’ Hurdle last year.
It is worth remembering that this will only be his twenty second career start, but Rob James (ridden over 200 point-to-point winners) will take 7lb off, meaning he’ll run off 149 and suddenly you’ve got a class act off less than 150 in a handicap.
He qualified for the Pertemps Final by running at Warwick last month when fourth and looking in need of this appearance after a poor effort at Leopardstown over Christmas. Interestingly, Sire Du Berlais also finished fourth at Warwick in 2020 in the qualifier ahead of winning the Pertemps.
Unibet 6/1 each way
Kansas City Chief is a teenager who has been in great form for Neil Mulholland and jockey Victoria Malzard, who claims seven, with season figures of 5131221. This includes two wins at Cheltenham and an easy win at Plumpton on Monday after some razor-sharp hurdling. Kansas City Chief wouldn’t have known he had a race that day and with Unibet paying six places he has to be an each way play.
Unibet 33/1 each way
Unibet’s 15 To Go Free Bet Offer will be running on all ITV races all week.
2.50 Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) 2m 4½f
Conflated is described by his trainer Gordon Elliott as a ‘quirky horse’, yet he certainly has a big engine as he showed when winning the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival beating Minella Indo, the 2021 Gold Cup winner, by six and half lengths. He was the only runner in the field who had won on his previous start, with a victory at Navan and looked overpriced at Leopardstown on this occasion. He was seriously considered for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, with the decision to bring him back in trip for the Ryanair. Most of Conflated’s appearances have been around this distance and he certainly looks the runner at minimum to chase Allaho home. If he steps up from his significant improvement at the Dublin Festival, then he hopefully can make a race of it.
Unibet 6/1 each way
Unibet’s 15 To Go Free Bet Offer will be running on all ITV races all week.
3.30 Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 3m
Paisley Park won the Stayers’ in 2019 and was successful here in January to win his third Cleeve Hurdle, after whipping round at the start when beating Champ. He really stayed on strongly that day, showing that he still has that winning streak. This ten-year-old cannot be overlooked in this classy and open renewal where others have been less consistent on form.
Unibet 13/2 each way
Unibet’s 15 To Go Free Bet Offer will be running on all ITV races all week.
4.10 Plate Handicap Chase 2m 4½f
The Glancing Queen for the inform Alan King team has a much better chance here that the Mares’ race. In the Dipper she wouldn’t have had a chance against L’Homme Presse last time but stuck willingly to the task and ran right to her best. She has won Listed Mares Novices at both Bangor and Warwick on her other two starts and The Glancing Queen’s mark of 141 looks favourable.
Unibet 5/1
Unibet’s 15 To Go Free Bet Offer will be running on all ITV races all week.
5.30 Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase 3m 2f
Mister Coffey for Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson is still to fulfil his potential over fences, and this looks the right opportunity with the step up in trip here, as his previous chase starts have ranged from 2m½f to 2m 4½f. Mister Coffey was a distant second to L’Homme Presse at Sandown, however that form has been franked with Pic D’ Orhy winning since. I have tracked Mister Coffey throughout his career and he is overlooked with ground conditions to suit.
Unibet 11/1 each way
Unibet is offering a SUPERBOOST on the last two races of each day
