CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY 3 TIPS 2024

As with most of the novice races this will be shaped by Willie Mullins’ decision making and his big choice here is whether to run Fact To File, who came straight from bumpers to chases this season and has been racing at this sort of trip. He has produced high-class form in his wins at Leopardstown over Christmas and at the Dublin Racing Festival, albeit the second time he had only one rival and finished alone. The main one who looks to have been set up for a tilt at this race is leading British hope Ginny’s Destiny, whose trainer Paul Nicholls won this with Stage Star last year. Nicholls has run him exclusively at Cheltenham this season, including a last-time-out win on Trials day in the same race used as a stepping stone with Stage Star. There is plenty of class among the other possibles but no clear idea yet which ones will run here.

The eligibility rules for this 3m handicap hurdle, first run at the festival in 1974, were tightened again last year. Now horses must finish in the first four in any of the scheduled qualifiers to be eligible for the final. Last year's winner Good Time Jonny scored at 9-1 for the shrewd Tony Martin, giving the trainer a seventh festival win (all in handicaps) and becoming the seventh Irish-trained winner of this race in eight years. Icare Allen hasn’t run since finishing third for Willie Mullins in an Aintree qualifier in November and is prominent in the ante-post betting. Gaoth Chuil (Ted Walsh) and Jody Ted (Eoin Griffin) have won Irish qualifiers. White Rhino is a 3m winner on the New course this season for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Allaho, the dominant winner in 2021 and 2022, is absent for a second consecutive year and that leaves the contest wide open again. Envoi Allen stepped up last year for Allaho’s owners with his third festival success and is a leading contender again for Henry de Bromhead, albeit with the age stat to defy now at the age of ten. The leading Irish contender according to the ante-post betting is Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge, who ended his novice campaign with a Grade 1 win at Aintree and improved again on his only start this season with victory over Pic D’Orhy at Kempton. He missed Cheltenham last year, though, and almost certainly needs good in the going description if he’s to line up. Paul Nicholls’ Stage Star, last year’s Turners Novices’ Chase winner, has strong Cheltenham form but questions to answer after being pulled up there last time. A host of other possibles make this one of the most fascinating Grade 1 contests.

Gordon Elliott saddled beaten favourite Teahupoo in last year’s race but still won with the veteran Sire Du Berlais and he holds another strong hand. Teahupoo is one of the aces again as he tries to improve on last year’s close third off a quieter preparation, having been rested since his repeat win in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse in early December. Soft ground looks crucial to his chance, though, and he still has to prove he’s fully effective up the Cheltenham hill. Elliott also has the year-younger Irish Point, who has come out of his Grade 1-winning novice campaign to strike at the top level as a stayer in Leopardstown’s Christmas Hurdle. That gives him strong claims but he’s in the same ownership as Teahupoo and it’s open to question whether both will run. The other main new challenger is Crambo, who won the Grade 1 Long Walk at Ascot and offers plenty of hope that trainer Fergal O’Brien can make his festival breakthrough this year. There are plenty of old faces too, including past winners Sire Du Berlais, Flooring Porter (Gavin Cromwell) and Paisley Park (Emma Lavelle) and several high-class performers who have switched from chasing back to hurdling for various reasons. The shortest-priced of them is Emmet Mullins’ 2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats, who set up a tilt at this prize with victory over Paisley Park in the Cleeve Hurdle on Cheltenham’s Trials day. Festival winners Sir Gerhard and Monkfish have also been turned back to hurdling by Willie Mullins for last-time-out successes.

Established in 1951 and traditionally known as the Mildmay of Flete, this is a highly competitive 2m4½f handicap chase that usually attracts a maximum field of 24. Seddon became a first festival winner for trainer John McConnell and conditional rider Ben Harvey with his 20-1 success. He was the fifth Irish-trained winner in eight years. Seddon was the fifth last-time-out winner to strike in the past eight runnings (one of the other winners had been second the time before). Leopardstown’s 2m5½f handicap chase at the Dublin Racing Festival is worth checking, not just the winner Heart Wood (Henry de Bromhead) but also unplaced horses like Inothewayurthinkin (Gavin Cromwell). Course regulars Ga Law (Jamie Snowden) and Il Ridoto (Paul Nicholls) could be in the home defence.

Ireland took the first six runnings after this race was introduced in 2016 but the home side has hit back with consecutive wins for Harry Fry with Love Envoi and Jamie Snowden with You Wear It Well. Those two came from further down the betting at 15-2 and 16-1 but Britain has one of the leading fancies this time in unbeaten course winner Dysart Enos, whose trainer Fergal O’Brien is seeking a first festival success and could have a big day as he’s also set to field Stayers’ Hurdle contender Crambo. Of course the top Irish yards have plenty of ammunition and Jade De Grugy (Willie Mullins) and Brighterdaysahead (Gordon Elliott) are well ahead of Dysart Enos on Racing Post Ratings. Those two are unbeaten and have won at Grade 3 level this season. Other possibles include Fun Fun Fun (Mullins), Joyeuse (Nicky Henderson) and Queens Gamble (Harry Derham).

A fourth success in five years for Ireland as 10-1 shot Angels Dawn became a first festival winner for trainer Sam Curling and rider Patrick King. The first seven were Irish-trained. There is a trend of Kim Muir winners bouncing back from disappointing efforts (14 of the past 23 winners had been unplaced on their previous run). Ireland has to be the first port of call and a chief fancy is Good Time Jonny, who looks set to bid for a second consecutive festival win after taking last year’s Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle for trainer Tony Martin. Perceval Legallois (Gavin Cromwell) and Cool Survivor (Gordon Elliott) are likely types. Angels Dawn will have to defy a higher mark to make it back-to-back wins for Sam Curling.