Cheltenham competition day three: Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Stayers’ Hurdle and extra – dwell | Cheltenham competition 2025
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Key occasions
2.00 Jack Richards’ Handicap Chase odds market mover through Oddspedia:
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Firefox (6/1 into 4/1)
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Pic Roc (12/1 into 9/1)
Rachael Blackmore spoke to ITV Racing: ““It’s a magical place to be. She was sensible and did rather well and got here by way of pretty. I need to dedicate this win to my cousin Robert who died on the weekend. His funeral was right this moment. Now we have had a quieter two days. I felt like I had been spoiled the previous few years however Henry [De Bromhead, Air Of Entitlement’s trainer] does such an unbelievable job and I’m very fortunate to be on a few of their backs.”
2.00 Jack Richards’ Handicap Chase odds
Odds through Oddschecker
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Firefox 9/2
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Asian Grasp 7/1
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Caldwell Potter 7/1
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Springwell Bay 7/1
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Nurburgring 8/1
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Pic Roc 10/1
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Lord Of Thunder 12/1
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Reply To Kayf 12/1
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Moon D’Orange 12/1
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What’s Up Darling 25/1
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BAR 33/1 – 19 Runners
Key Race Tendencies
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11 of 12 winners have been aged 6 or 7.
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10 of the final 12 winners have come from the highest three within the betting.
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12 out of 12 winners have had one earlier run at Cheltenham.
Cheltenham 1.20 end result
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1. Air Of Entitlement (Rachael Blackmore) 16-1
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2. Sixandahalf (Okay M Donoghue) 85-40 Fav
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3. Diva Luna (Ben Jones) 12-1
23 ran
That’s the previous agency of Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead. Her seventeenth win on the competition, and collared the favorite. Keith Donoghue denied.
Air of Entitlement wins the 1.20 Mares Novice Hurdle
1.20 Mares Novice Hurdle
Karoline Banbou to the fore, as Sixandahalf takes to the battle. Has Diva Luna escaped? Sixandahalf is giving chase, as they go during the last. Sixandahalf goes clear however…Air of Entitlement, chins her on the line. One other fav executed.
1.20 Mares Novice Hurdle
Maughreen is tailing off however continues. Galileo Dame hits one as they went previous the primary stands. Brenda’sasking leads them with six after which 5 to go. Diva Luna and Bluey effectively positioned with three to leap, seven furlongs to run.
1.20 Mares Novice Hurdle
And away they go…in fact they don’t. The beginning has been an issue all assembly. The horses requested to show and face….and now they go. Maughreen will get caught wanting within the flawed path.
There’s solar over the parade ring because the mares take to the course. It seems to be chilly as Sixandahalf heads out to the course. This race has grow to be an actual betting proposition. Novice hurdling has despatched a number of to the poor home over time. Sixandhalf goes to five/2 fav.
Plenty of bets getting into on acquainted names Maughreen and Aurora Vega: reminiscences of Faugheen and Quevega, each legendary Willie Mullins horses. Maughreen is the niece of Champion Hurdle winner Faugheen, and Aurora Vega is daughter to the six-times Mares Hurdle winner. Everybody was on Quevega. She’d get a roar dwelling greater than a Gold Cup winner. Maughreen’s brother is the quite much less poetically named Blow Your Wad.
On a associated matter.
1.20 Market movers through Oddspedia:
Thursday, St Patrick’s Thursday race schedule
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1.20 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle 2m 1f
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2.00 Jack Richards Novices’ Chase 2m 4f
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2.40 Pertemps Community Last Handicap Hurdle 3m
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3.20 Ryanair Chase 2m 4f
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4.00 Paddy Energy Stayers’ Hurdle 3m
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4.40 TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase 2m 4f
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5.20 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Problem Cup Handicap Chase 3m 2f
1.20 – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle odds
Odds through Oddchecker
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Sixandahalf 5/2
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Galileo Dame 4/1
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Aurora Vega 8/1
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Jubilee Alpha 8/1
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Karoline Banbou 10/1
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Maughreen 11/1
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Diva Luna 14/1
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Bluey 18/1
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Air Of Entitlement 22/1
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Simply A Rose 22/1
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BAR 40/1 – 24 Runners
Key Race Tendencies
Having attended on Tuesday as a dropping punter, it’s an costly day – and evening. However that stated, I noticed among the finest racing you’ll ever see. It’s nonetheless the perfect. And this was speculated to be a 12 months quick on high quality. If something, a barely lesser crowd could make life simpler. Gold Cup final 12 months was bedlam I’d be unwilling to repeat. Too few folks watching the racing. Quite giant queues for the cubicles within the gents, and a few honest overkill of laddy bantz. Wednesday has been my regular day over the various years however Tuesday is the place the standard lies. The Champion Chase, aside from being a drain for fav backers, isn’t fairly the division it was. Now, how will the Stayers’ maintain up? The Ryanair Chase is criticised for diluting the Gold Cup but it surely’s offered some effective, high quality races over time.
The BBC stories on these falling attendances.
The smallest Cheltenham Competition crowd since 1993 was recorded on Wednesday, with 41,949 spectators on the monitor.
It was a drop of almost 5,000 from final 12 months and mirrored a fall in Tuesday’s crowd which was all the way down to 55,498 from 60,181.
Attendance for the Queen Mom Champion Chase day on Wednesday was almost 65,000 in 2022. This 12 months’s determine was the bottom since 40,662 on the second day of the fixture 32 years in the past.
Studies from the course recommend a hailstorm. Cheltenham has a number of seasons in at some point in that massive bowl of a course. The snow didn’t have an excessive amount of impact yesterday. Maybe the largest level of debate is attendances. Thursday is commonly the quietest day.
Cheltenham Day 2 Attendance:
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2025 – 41,949
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2024 – 46,771
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2023 – 50,387
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2022 – 64,431
Greg Wooden
2.40 PERTEMPS NETWORK FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE, 2M 7F 213YD
Sponsors come and sponsors go elsewhere on the competition programme, however the Pertemps Last – first run in 2002 – retains marching on in the direction of a quarter-century and extra. It’s a fascinating contest, with runners obliged to qualify through considered one of greater than a dozen races in Britain, Eire and France, which additionally signifies that punters ought to have loads of type in related races to work with on the subject of right this moment’s Last. But it surely stays a frightening problem, with no finish of potentialities and plotlines for backers to contemplate together with the near-certainty that at the least one of many JP McManus-owned runners – Jeriko Du Reponet and Win Some Lose Some – has been steering in the direction of right this moment’s race for months. Dan Skelton, most likely the neatest coach within the British ranks nowadays on the subject of readying one for a competition handicap, additionally has a dwell contender in Catch Him Derry, whereas Tom Cooper’s D Artwork D Artwork, who has not raced since his qualifier in December, has emerged as favorite since I put him up at a number of factors greater yesterday. Since my ideas right here usually appear to go the opposite approach available in the market, I can solely assume that the truth that Tom Segal and Paul Kealy, maybe the 2 most high-profile tipsters within the Racing Put up, have additionally tipped him up is the primary purpose for the cash.
SELECTION: D ART D ART.
Greg Wooden
2.00 JACK RICHARDS NOVICE LIMITED HANDICAP CHASE, 2M 4F 127YD
A race that reverts again to handicap standing after 10 years as a level-weights contest, together with most just lately as a Grade One. The change has positively had the specified impact on the sphere measurement, as 20 are because of go to publish after meagre turnouts of eight, 4, seven and 11 within the final 4 years as a Grade One, however the flip-side for punters is that whereas 4 of the final 5 winners have been at single-figure odds, there may be way more likelihood of an upset right this moment. Gordon Elliott’s Firefox, who has raced in Grade One firm in two of his final three begins, has emerged from the pack because the probably favorite, however he’s giving weight to each runner bar Springwell Bay, a winner over course and distance on the New Yr’s Day assembly. Caldwell Potter is one other attention-grabbing runner, not least because of his price ticket – £632,000 – when he was purchased by a syndicate together with Sir Alex Ferguson and the late John Hales at a serious dispersal sale in Eire in February 2024. He has been the overwhelmed favorite on his final two begins however makes his handicap debut on what may but show to be a good mark. Elsewhere within the subject, Eire is effectively represented and Terence O’Brien’s Reply To Kayf is one which caught my eye. He was a really spectacular winner of his handicap debut at Naas in January, and whereas that race was on heavy floor, he has sufficient type on a sounder floor to recommend that right this moment’s going is not going to be a problem.
SELECTION: ANSWER TO KAYF.
Greg Wooden
1.20 MARES’ NOVICE HURDLE, GRADE TWO, 2M 179YD
A file subject of 24 has been declared for one of many competition’s most up-to-date additions, which has been on the schedule solely since 2016 and likewise earned an enormous dollop of second-hand kudos when Golden Ace, who beat Brighterdaysahead by just below two lengths in 2024, joined the Champion Hurdle’s roll of honour right here on Tuesday. It could expect quite a bit to assume that one other future champion is likely to be lurking someplace in right this moment’s monster subject, however there may be positively the daughter of a champion as Aurora Vega is the second foal of the nice Quevega, who racked up a rare six straight wins within the Mares’ Hurdle from 2009 to 2014. Her first foal – and Aurora Vega’s full brother – was Facile Vega, who took the Bumper right here in 2022 and completed second within the Supreme Novice Hurdle a 12 months later, so she has fairly the household custom to dwell as much as. As but, although, her type has not fairly reached the identical degree, and Galileo Dame, the runner-up within the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle, seems to be a stronger contender for main honours right this moment, together with Gavin Cromwell’s Sixandahalf, who was helpful on the flat and made a placing hurdling debut at Fairyhouse in January, profitable by 11 lengths.
SELECTION: SIXANDAHALF
Wednesday on the 2025 competition might be remembered as a tribute to the late Michael O’Sullivan.
Official launch from the Jockey Membership.
Thursday thirteenth March
The going for day three of The Cheltenham Competition 2025 right this moment, St Patrick’s Thursday, is:
Good to Tender
Motion strikes to the New Course right this moment, which may also be in use tomorrow (Gold Cup Day). The primary two days of The Competition, Champion Day and Fashion Wednesday, came about on the Outdated Course.
Jon Pullin, Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham Racecourse, stated this morning: “Now we have had two nice days of racing thus far this week and we’re wanting ahead to a different nice day right this moment.
“Immediately’s racing begins at 1.20pm and there are seven races, with the primary six dwell on ITV.
“The characteristic right this moment is the Ryanair Chase which seems to be a very aggressive race with runners from the UK, France and Eire.
“Temperatures obtained down to simply under -2C for a quick interval in a single day but it surely has warmed up now and must be round 8C for the remainder of the day.
“The going for right this moment is Good to Tender.”
Non-Runners
4.00pm Paddy Energy Stayers’ Hurdle
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8 Langer Dan (IRE) (Vet’s Certificates, Respiratory An infection)
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10 Monmiral (FR) (Self Certificates, Forged in Field)
4.40pm Trustatrader Plate Handicap Chase
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19 Lord of Thunder (IRE) (Double Declaration
5.20pm Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase (Sponsored by Thames Supplies)
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15 The place It All Started (IRE) (Going)
Greg Wooden’s picks for Thursday, with full previews of every race to observe.
Whereas the Gold Cup on Friday revolves across the odds-on Galopin Des Champs and his bid for a 3rd consecutive success, the Ryanair Chase over two and a half miles on Thursday is way more open, with dwell contenders from Britain, Eire and France, and the prospect of seeing the daring entrance‑runner Il Est Francais tackling Cheltenham for the primary time, with top-class opponents together with Truth To File and Protektorat in scorching pursuit, is one to savour.
Il Est Francais (3.20) was a transparent chief for a lot of the way in which within the King George VI Chase at Kempton at Christmas earlier than Banbridge reeled him in on the run to the final, and his devastating front-running success within the Kauto Star Novices Chase on the identical assembly in 2023 was top-of-the-line performances by a novice in recent times.
The truth that his finest type exterior France has come at a flat monitor is a slight concern, however the drop again on Thursday to an intermediate journey on respectable floor ought to go well with and Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm’s seven-year-old has an enormous likelihood to grow to be solely the second French‑educated winner on the competition assembly since 2005.
Additional information, through PA Media: Gordon Elliott has issued a constructive replace on Galvin, who was taken away in a horse ambulance for evaluation after being pulled up within the Cross Nation Chase. Elliott stated on ITV’s Opening Present: “Galvin had a haematomma on his knee however he was x-rayed and every thing was good. He’s on his approach dwelling now.”
Climate report: sunny spells anticipated between 12pm and 5pm right this moment’s situations must be excellent.
Going information: good to tender floor, not tender in locations. A dry evening in Cheltenham, in a single sense at the least.
Some information forward of the third day. Langer Dan is out of the characteristic race, the Stayers’ Hurdle. Dan Skelton took to X to announce the unhappy information the Cheltenham specialist might be out.
Sadly it’s not nice information for Langer Dan this morning,” stated Skelton on X. “He had a barely soiled nostril and we’ve had the vet take a look at him. We did a tracheal wash and there’s a little bit of mucus and it was an excessive amount of.
I’ve made him a non-runner which could be very disappointing. He’s been a horse who has turned up there yearly since he was a four-year-old. I’m completely gutted for Colm [Donlon] who owns him.
We all the time belief him to return alive at the moment of 12 months. He’ll, nevertheless, go to Aintree expectantly. It shouldn’t take lengthy to clear up, it’s simply dangerous timing. This stuff occur and I’m positive he’ll be cheered on within the Aintree Hurdle, one of many nice races of the assembly.
Preamble
Greg Wooden
Good morning from Cheltenham on day three of the 2025 competition assembly – successfully the day that was added to the schedule 20 years in the past to broaden it from three to 4. It nonetheless feels just a little unsure of itself, with two Grade Ones in the midst of the cardboard quite than a standout characteristic, however one or different of the Ryanair Chase or the Stayers’ Hurdle typically throws up a good yarn, and typically – as was the case on a memorable afternoon in 2019 – it’s each.
This 12 months, maybe – it’s all the time dangerous to be too dogmatic at Cheltenham – it will likely be the Ryanair, which is a vanishingly uncommon assembly of top-class chasers educated within the three main leaping nations. The Irish staff is led by Truth To File, who was quoted at pretty quick odds for the Gold Cup after profitable the three-mile novice right here final 12 months however is leaving that to his steady companion, Galopin Des Champs. The British problem is headed by Protektorat, final 12 months’s winner, whereas France fields the vastly thrilling Il Est Francais.
He’s, admittedly, educated in France by an Englishman and a Swede (Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm) however having had only a single winner at this assembly since 2005, the French will have fun lengthy and onerous all the identical if the front-running Il Est Francais can stamp his authority on Cheltenham on the first try. He introduced himself as a serious expertise with a devastating show within the Grade One novice at Kempton’s Boxing Day assembly in 2023, and put up a equally spectacular show for a lot of the way in which within the King George VI Chase at Christmas. One thing related over this very totally different course this afternoon might be fairly the sight to see.
It’s a vivid, clear morning within the west nation, with a chill within the air however no signal of any of yesterday’s snow because the motion switches to the New Course for the ultimate two days of the assembly.
The going is good-to-soft (from good-to-soft, tender in locations), whereas the information from the weighing room is that Jack Kennedy, Gordon Elliott’s primary, must go the physician to trip right this moment after barely aggravating the leg harm that dominated him out of a lot of the sooner a part of the season. Since Sam Ewing, who had been filling very efficiently for Kennedy earlier within the 12 months, can be dominated out right this moment, it might be an actual headache for Elliott.
My picks for the afternoon – full disclosure: at present displaying a slight lack of £2.18 to degree stakes – are right here, and you may get the newest information on Kennedy, his potential replacements and far, way more right here on the weblog because the day unfolds.
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