Day Three schedule
- 1.20pm – Ryanair Mares Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)
- 2pm – Jack Richards Novice Limited Handicap Chase
- 2.40pm – Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdle)
- 3.20pm – Ryanair Steeple Chase (Grade 1)
- 4pm – Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1)
- 4.40pm – TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
- 5.20pm – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase
That’s four of the seven races done. Next up is the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle over three miles. Our man Brian O’Connor has gone for Home By The Lee in this feature hurdle.
Quite the statistic: Fact to File’s win has brought owner JP McManus to 81 career winners at Cheltenham.
Trainer Willie Mullins eyeing up the possibility of sending Fact To File for the Gold Cup next year. For now, the bay is a Ryanair Chase winner of real quality. That'[s Willie Mullins' sixth win of the week.
Class, pure class. What a run from Fact To File, the favourite has routed the rest in the Ryanair Chase. Mark Walsh gave the bay a brilliant ride. Tracker Il Est Francais before pulling away for a superb win. Another win for Willie Mullins.
“That was brilliant,” says Mark Walsh of giving Fact To File a lovely ride in the Ryanair Chase. As he put it, the horse heard the roars of the crowds, pricked his ears and stormed to victory. A happy owner JP McManus with a wide smile.
7 fences to go and pace still being set by the French challenger, Il Est Francais.
An orderly line from the smaller field in the big race for the Ryanair Chase, off and running
Willie Mullins not concerned about Fact to File seemingly “acting up” in the parade ring ahead of the Ryanair Chase, the feature chase of day three. Fact to File in to 6/4 favourite.
The Ryanair Chase is up next at 3.20 where Fact to File is set to start as favourite. Willie Mullins avoided the Gold Cup and a clash with stable mate Galopin Des Champs to give Fact to File his chance in the Ryanair with Mark Walsh on board the eight year old bay gelding.
Current state of play in the Prestbury Cup: Ireland 9 Britain 5
The music blaring out at the parade ring is called Doddie’s Dream, a specially commissioned piece of music to celebrate the life of Doddie Weir, the Scottish rugby legend who died following a long battle with Motor Neurone Disease. Sport gives back: the money from Doddiethegreat’s win goes to the foundation set up in his honour.
2.40: 1 Doddiethegreat 25/1; 2 Jeriko Du Reponet 11/2; 3 Catch Him Derry 14/1
Doddiethegreat holds off stable mate and favourite Jeriko Du Reponet in the Pretemps. Another emotional win at the festival. The winner is named after Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir who passed away after a long illness suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
American Sniper only got into the race late but is setting the early pace in the 2.40 .....a circuit to go.
The Pertemps handicap hurdle has seen a move in the market on the Nicky Henderson trained Jeriko du Reponet who is leading the market at 4/1. Keith Donoghue was edged on the line in the first and will be looking for some consolation on Will The Wise.
Alex Ferguson looked a lot happier watching Caldwell Potter - in the colours of the late John Hale - romp home in the Handicap Chase than he has looked watching the Red Devils in recent times.
2.00: 1 Caldwell Potter (7/1); 2 Anyway 125/1; 3 O’Moore Park 66/1 ......some very big prices in the minor placings behind the winner.
Sad news after the second race with the news that Springwell Bay, who took a heavy fall, suffered a fatal injury.
Two quite brilliant winning rides so far with Rachael Blackmore aboard Air of Entitlement in the first and Harry Cobden on Caldwell Potter in the second. Next up at 2.40 is the Handicap Hurdle over 3m with a loaded field. There has been big movement in the market for D Art D Art to joint favouritism with Win Some Lose Some, both matched at 7/1.
“Brilliant,” says Cobden of Caldwell Potter’s wire-to-wire win in the second. “Couldn’t be happier,” added he jockey of giving trainer Paul Nicholls a 50th win at the Cheltenham Festival.
Brilliant, brilliant ride from Harry Cobden on Caldwell Potter to win the Novices Limited Handicap Chase by a country mile. Purchased for over €750,000 and worth every cent for the Paul Nicholls trained grey.
Caldwell Potter, a lovely grey, has led from the start with 5 fences to go.
And they’re off from a standing start this time.
The flag is up and they’re going too fast again. Boos ringing out from the punters but starter had no option.
Firefox (4/1), Springwells Bay and Caldwell Potter (13/2) lead the market in the Novices Limited Handicap Chase as they move up to the starting line.
There is a change of rider on Whats Up Darling in the next with 5lb claimer Tiernan Power Roche taking the ride in place of Sam Ewing.
Money is going on Firfox at rate of knots. The Gordon Elliott trained novice is down to 7/2 favourite for the Novices Limited Handicap Chase.
There have been some messy starts at the Festival so far and you can hear the frustration form starter Robbie Supple on the difficulty of controlling the starts, especially in ensuring they don’t start ahead of time.
The second race of the day is the Novices Limited Handicap Chase over 2m 5f and there is some significant movement in the market. The Gordon Elliott trained Firefox with Jack Kennedy on board has moved to favouritism.
Brilliant rid by Rachael Blackmore to win the opener...“Magical feeling” she says with the widest of smiles and trainer Henry de Bromhead matches it.
The betting market for the first race of the day - the Ryanair Mares Novice Hurdle - looks interesting with Sixandahalf - the NAP of our racing correspondent Brian O’Connor - currently heading the market at 9/4 with Galileo Dame at 7/2 and Karoline Banbou priced at 7/1.
Down at the start for the Ryanair Mares Hurdle, all very well behaved as it stands
Cracking start to day three with Rachael Blackmore on Air of Entitlement getting up on the line to beat favourite Sixandahalf
We’ve word of a number of non-runners ahead of the show getting back on the road.
Non-runners 2.00: Ryan’s Rocket; 4.00: Langer Dan and Monmiral; 4.40: Lord of Thunder
The week is flying by and day three of the Cheltenham Festival – branded as St Patrick’s Day – could indeed feature a green hue on proceedings as the Irish raiders bid to add to the roll of honour: as it stands, Irish trained horses hold a 9-5 lead over British trained winners as we move on.
The official going from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, aka The Jockeys Club, for today’s racing is good to soft.
Today’s big race is the Ryanair Chase (for the Festival Trophy) (3.20) – which has a prize fund close to €440,000 – with nine horses doing to post, including French raider Il Est Francais. However the Willie Mullins trained Fact to File in the JP McManus colours with Mark Walsh on board is likely to carry the favourites mantle into the two miles five furlongs examination around Prestbury Park.
As our man on the ground Brian O’Connor has noted, attendances at the Festival this year are down – with around 200,000 due to pass through the gates this year, down from the record 280,000 in 2022 – and there are soundings that the showpiece of national hunt racing could be reduced from four days to three.
The Ryanair Mares Novices’ Hurdle gets today’s seven race programme up and running with the Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap closing proceedings.
