1.30pm Turners Novices Chase (Grade 1)
Grey Dawning, Grey Dawning... and Grey Dawning, that is all I am going to be starting with here. Facile Vega tackles this trip for the very first time, so that is the big concern for him for me, but he is trained by the all-conquering 100-Festival -race-winning Willie Mullins who can seemingly do very little wrong at this stage.
Dan and Harry Skelton had a great day yesterday landing both the Coral Cup and the Grand Annual, and their runner here Grey Dawning is the one to side for me. A decent Grade 2 Hurdler last season, although he was beaten by Ginny's Destiny at Cheltenham two runs back, he was giving him weight, plus he made a huge mistake at the 2nd last. However Grey Dawning did stay on well and only go down by three quarters of a length in the end.
Next time out was by far a career best for the horse, after tackling the 3-mile trip for the 2nd time over fences, jumping well before forging clear to win the Grade 2 Hampton Novices Chase by an easy 14 lengths. That was a classy performance, and although it is a slight worry he might have preferred the 3-mile Brown Advisory, I feel this is the "easier" race, plus he has winning form over this sort of trip.
- Selection - Grey Dawning (9/4)
2.10pm Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
This race is an absolute minefield, and probably one of the only races I have never picked the winner in, ever. However today is the day I break that duck, I have just got a hunch about my ante-post selection in Kyntara for Mel Rowley, who has drifted considerably in the market, but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to this horse.
Kyntara has had four runs for the new yard, with two wins and two very good 2nd placed efforts. He was rated 118 for Kim Bailey, and now he is a 131-rated horse, and has qualified for the Pertemps final with a decent, but very unlucky 2nd at Warwick.
Last time he did try to make all (like he does with all his runs recently), jumping well but was just every so slightly outstayed by a thorough stayer of Alan King's Emitom who was a very good horse back in the day, and the described heavy ground might have hindered Kyntara that day.
I still think there is more in the locker for this horse, and although he likes to make all, something he might not be able to do at Cheltenham unless he can get a decent early position. However I think there is still more to come from this horse, so watch this space and don't let the drift concern you in the slightest, as there have been some big-priced winners of this in recent times.
- Selection - Kyntara (25/1)
2.50pm Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
Stage Star has very good overall course form, and was a winner of the Grade 1 Novices Chase over 2m4f at the Cheltenham Festival last season, but what are the chances of the first 3 winners of the day being UK based trainers (first 3 selections of the day are trained in the UK).
There is the obvious slight concern about that effort last time out from Paul Nicholls's Grade 1 Festival winner, as he was pulled up and did not look right at all that day, although he might have just been that, not right on the day.
Paul Nicholls did say before the race that the ground was the obvious concern, and those concerns came true as he did run disappointingly. However there are so many factors that play to his strengths here which make him the one to beat for me, and arguably the best chance of the UK to train a Grade 1 winner this week.
He is a Grade 1 Festival winner last season over this trip, a three time course and distance winner in the past, and in typical Paul Nicholls fashion, he has given him a nice break heading into this race, and Paul will only do that with his best chances of the week.
Joint top rated in the field with a rating of 166, I think he could be a better horse than that rating suggests around here on a going day, and judging by how he has been campaigned, I would say today will be a going day for him with all in his favour.
He loves this track, will enjoy the conditions and if his jumping can hold up, and he is there come the finish, then my money would firmly be on him getting up the hill and crossing the line with his head in front, resulting in a welcoming Grade 1 winner for the Brits.
- Selection - Stage Star (5/1)
3.30pm Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1)
The roof would absolutely fly off the place if Paisley Park is there with the leaders coming up the Hill, a Hill that he has ran on so well up in many previous occasions, which did result in him landing this contest back in 2019.
That does seem like a lifetime ago now, but the mad thing is, he doesn't look like he is stopping anytime soon. I think given his very good record in this race and in staying races in general, that gives him a very good chance, and given his price at this stage, I would not put anyone off backing him each way.
There is still fire very much in the old boy’s belly, with three very good 2nd placed efforts this year, as he just falls a little short against younger legs, all of which were in Grade 2 or 1 company, and given his mileage around this place, it would be foolish to write him off here. He would have a great chance at the prices and 1 of two selections from me in this contest.
The other I like in here, who would be my main selection for the Stayers Hurdle is Teahupoo, who is also on a whole load of people's radars for this. He ran very well in this contest last season, and probably wasn't given the best ride you will ever see by Davy Russell, but he still ran well to claim 3rd spot (was 3rd, then promoted to 2nd but was then demoted to 3rd in the end after connections went back and forth).
He was also only beaten by three quarters of a length coming to the line, and was seemingly running on well with the others ahead of him. We have only seen him once this season, which would mean he has been campaigned firmly with this in mind from connections, and his 1 length win to Impaire Et Passe could be read well, so now stepping back up to 3 miles after a nice little freshener will see him in very good stead for this come 3.30pm.
- Selections - Teahupoo WIN (15/8) & Paisley Park e/w (12/1)
4.10pm TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
This is one of the handicap contests I quite enjoy as it goes, and another one of my ante-post horses runs in this, who has drifted every so slightly, but not too much. He is owned by JP McManus, who seemingly has quite a decent hand in this contest, and yes although it is another UK trained horse (I am fully aware of the Irish dominance) I think In Excelsis Deo for Harry Fry could run well here after a string of decent efforts recently.
I think he could make amends for that slightly unfortunate unseating last time, and win the Plate of his current mark of 137 which would mean he would carry a very nice and low weight here today. I firmly believe he was in with a real chance of winning last time out when unseating at the last at Sandown just 40 days ago, as he was making good headway and went alongside the leader Harper's Brook, who is sometimes known to throw the towel in late on in races when joined in a battle.
Although he would have to tackle the 2m4f trip for only the 2nd time in his career this afternoon, I feel with his running style it will suit. Also to add to that is the two previous runs at Cheltenham fairly recently where he came 3rd (only beaten by 2 and a half lengths) and 2nd (only beaten by 3 lengths and was a further 10 plus lengths clear of the 3rd), he could run well here of a decent enough weight.
- Selection - In Excelsis Deo (10/1)
4.50pm Ryanair Mares Novices Hurdle (Grade 2)
One of the newer races on the Festival programme, it has been won by some pretty decent mares previously, including Laurina, Concertista and Love Envoi, and the last two winners of the contest have been trained by UK trainers.
I think we could be making it three in a row this afternoon with Dysart Enos for Fergal O'Brien, who is desperately chasing that illustrious first Cheltenham Festival winner. I think this horse is very good, and O'Brien really holds her in such high regard, and given how well she won the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree for her final start of last season, I can see why.
The form in behind her that day has been franked on multiple occasions, with 9 of the horses in behind her that day winning since, and a few of them have won on multiple occasions. She has made it the perfect start over hurdles this season, winning by 7 and a half lengths on hurdle debut at Huntingdon, before going on to back that performance up with a cracking winning display at Cheltenham in quite a nice looking novice contest.
She has since backed that up again with a smooth and very facile success in another novice contest at Doncaster, winning by 7 lengths and taking her record to 3 wins in just 3 runs over hurdles, and the time she completed the race in at Cheltenham in December was borderline exceptional, and although it was just a novice contest at the time, it was a splendid performance.
I still think there is plenty more to come from Fergal's mare who arrives into this contest in red-hot form, as she takes on the Irish challengers, who are also in pretty good form, but can they beat her today.
- Selection - Dysart Enos (9/2)
5.30pm Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys Handicap Chase
The lucky last contest of Day 3 sees another one of my ante-post selections run, and this one is trained by an Irish trainer. It is Daily Present for Paul Nolan, and Paul knows how to get one ready for a nice handicap pot (like when Mrs Milner won the Pertemps Final a few years back) I think he could have a very good chance here, and with the jockeys 5lb claim, that would mean he technically runs off the mark of 122 this afternoon.
Daily Present is a lightly raced sort who came good in a handicap chase over 3 miles at Down Royal in January, and he is expected to carry 10 stone 10lb around here this afternoon which is a perfectly low weight for him and a race of this nature.
He came good when winning last time due to the first time tongue strap being applied, and that seemed to have worked wonders for Paul Nolan and connections. Although there isn't much to go on with his form, this lightly raced and improving son of Mahler can carry a lovely weight around Cheltenham, and judging by his previous run, he looks to be a real nice staying type in the making who will relish this track and conditions.
- Selection - Daily Present (11/1)
All prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are subject to change
All previews and tip provided by @ Jake Russell