ITV Racing Tips for Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday 16th March

ITV Racing will be showing five races a day from the 2023 Cheltenham Festival and we have asked Henry to go through each race and pick his best bet from each race each day.

The day 3 Cheltenham betting tips from the ITV Racing can be found below as well as a quick preview of each race, starting Turners Novices Chase at 1.30pm and the big race of the day is the Stayers Hurdle, due off at 3.30pm. We have also got the Ryanair Chase where Shishkin is the short priced favourite.

Henry has also added in his picks for the final two races of the day, which will not be shown on ITV Racing this year but can be found on Racing UK.

 

Cheltenham Day 3 Tips for ITV Racing

• 1.30pm – MIGHTY POTTER (11/10) NB
• 2.10pm – GOOD TIME JONNY (10/1) EW
• 2.50pm – ENVOI ALLEN (12/1) EW
• 3.30pm – BLAZING KHAL (3/1) NAP
• 4.10pm – FRERO BANBOU (12/1) EW & FUGITIF (12/1) EW

Races not on ITV

• 4.50pm – LUCCIA (13/8)
• 5.30pm – STUMPTOWN (4/1)

 

1:30 Cheltenham

We have to the New Course and the opener on Day 3 is the Turners’ Novices Chase, a Grade 1 over the intermediate 2m4f trip.

I think MIGHTY POTTER (11/10) NB will come out on top here. He is improving and maturing all the time and he looks very capable of going all the way to the top. He won his beginners chase at Down Royal back in November 2022 before beating a decent competitive field in the Grade 1 Drinmore at Fairyhouse in December. He still looked raw that day and it was his run last time out at the Dublin Racing Festival that was really taken. He looked to me like he had come of age and he was a lot more professional in winning there. He’s arguably the reason Davy Russell came out of retirement and I think he’s the best of this lot.

 

2:10 Cheltenham

The 2:10 contest is the always competitive Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle over 3m.

The weather may influence this but I think GOOD TIME JONNY (10/1) EW looks to have a solid chance for the shrewd Tony Martin stable. He won a competitive handicap hurdle in February last year at Leopardstown over 3m before finishing mid-division here at Cheltenham albeit at Grade 1 Level in the Albert Bartlett. I get the impression he’s been ridden all season with this race in mind like many of them have as he’s ran over a variety of different trips finishing mid-division on most of them. The run last time out behind Gaelic Warrior looked like a preparation for this in my opinion. He was held up and hampered a few times stopping his run. That was over 2m as well and obviously this step back up in trip is a positive. Liam McKenna is jocked up and takes off a valuable 5lb.

 

2:50 Cheltenham 

The first of two feature races comes up at 2:50 and it the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase over an extended 2m4f.

I think Shishkin will take a lot of beating here but there is some obvious doubts at the price especially if the rain comes. Therefore, I think ENVOI ALLEN (12/1) EW is the one being overlooked. He went to the King George VI Chase last time out as one of the leading fancies but nothing went right from the start. We seen that with both Arctic Bresil in the Tolworth and A Plus Tard in the Betfair Chase with Henry’s horses so I’m happy to draw a line through that. Envoi Allen won the Champion Bumper 2019 and Ballymore Novices Hurdle 2020 here at the festival. He obviously fell in the Turners Chase back in 2021 but he bounced back well last year to finish third in the Grade 1 Champion Chase last season. He won a decent enough Grade 1 at Down Royal over 3m back in November so you only have to forgive the one poor run over Christmas where it was too bad to be true. Henry De Bromhead’s horses have turned the corner recently and he’s been in the winners enclosure already this week. I think Envoi Allen is a lively one in this over a trip and track that is arguably his optimum.

 

3:30 Cheltenham 

The 3:30 is the second of the two features, the Grade 1 Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle over 3m.

It’s BLAZING KHAL (3/1) NAP that I think will win here. I think he’s the best horse in the race and you couldn’t not be encouraged by his comeback effort last time out at Navan when beating a decent field in the Boyne Hurdle. He was possibly the best 3m novice hurdle last season and although he’s very fragile, when he’s right, he has shown to be top class. Charles Byrnes knows the time of day and has won this race before with Solwhit. I think it’s an open but not a strong renewal of the race and I think this new kid on the block is the one that could improve past the rest.

 

4:10 Cheltenham

The 4:10 from Cheltenham is the Magners Plate Handicap Chase over the extended 2m4f trip.

I like FRERO BANBOU (12/1) EW here for the Venetia Williams stable. He’s a very consistent sort who always seems to finish there or thereabouts. He was 3rd in the Grand Annual here last season staying on strongly suggesting a step up in trip would suit. Connections have waited until Cheltenham to step him up to 2m4f here and he’s running off a 6lb lower mark than last season. He looks weighted to go very close with conditions to suit over a track he’s proven he handles well.

I also like FUGITIF (12/1) EW in here. A really solid horse who looks bound to finish amongst the places at worst. He was 2nd here at Cheltenham on his seasonal return before bolting up at Chepstow over Christmas on soft ground. He then finished a good second here last time out behind I’d Ridoto with the pair pulling clear. I think they’ll obviously go quick here and with the soft ground, I’d expect him to reverse the form with the winners. He’s a second season chaser who’s on an upward curve and I think he’s another solid one in this.

 

4:50 Cheltenham

The 4:50 race is the turn of the Mares in the Jack De Bromhead Mares Novices Hurdle, a Grade 2 contest ran over 2m1f.

I think LUCCIA (13/8) will prove too good here. She’s looked very classy throughout her bumper runs and her two novice hurdle runs showing she has a very good cruising speed to go with a decent engine. She’s proven with cut in the ground and although her jumping has been a little iffy at times, there is no better man than Nicky Henderson to sort that out. I also think the strong pace will enable her to jump better. She was talked about as a possibility for the Supreme so she should be winning to justify that talk earlier in the year.

 

5:30 Cheltenham 

The finale on Day 3 is the Fluke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, a race over 3m2f for the amateur jockeys. It looks a competitive renewal in my opinion.

I like STUMPTOWN (4/1) here. A 6-year old that is really on the upgrade, he jumps well, travels well and he won going away over 3m at Sandown last time out suggesting this extra 2f will be no issue. I think he’s better than a mark of 135 and top amateur jockey Barry O’Neill is a very good jockey booking for him. I think he’ll sit handy and use the horses’ good jumping ability to put a lot of these in trouble early doors.

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