Paul Kealy's Cheltenham Festival day 3 racing tips: Thursday's play of the day

Farouk D'Alene

2.10 Cheltenham

Ted Walsh's Gaoth Chuil beat Farouk D'Alene by a neck in the Leopardstown qualifier in December and has run well at the Dublin Racing Festival since, but he's never been to Cheltenham, while Farouk D'Alene has, and the latter is going to be better off at the weights and is a much bigger price.

That doesn't make much sense to me, and I make him the bet despite carrying top weight.

Farouk D'Alene was a very promising novice chaser two years ago and was travelling better than all bar winner L'Homme Presse when taking a crashing fall at the second-last in the Brown Advisory.

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He'd have been second at the very worst, but obviously had his injury problems afterwards as we didn't see him again until he fell at the first in the Troytown in November.

Another desperate effort prompted a return to hurdles at Leopardstown, and he promptly ran a career best in that sphere, proving he retains nearly all his old ability.

It's not going to be easy off top weight, but he did beat subsequent Albert Bartlett winner Vanillier on heavy ground as a novice hurdler, and he does have that touch of class about him.

Farouk D'alene14:10 Cheltenham

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Jky: Mr R James (7lb)Tnr: Gordon Elliott

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