2022 Cheltenham Festival Day 3 Tips – Neil Morrice provides his best bets and tips for Thursday.
Race 1 – TURNERS’ NOVICES’ CHASE (Grade 1): BOB OLINGER
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead – Jockey: Rachael Blackmore
BOB OLINGER versus GALOPIN DES CHAMPS is one of the best head to heads of Festival week and this outstanding duo have frightened off all but two rivals who look hopelessly outclassed.
Bob Olinger hasn’t put a foot wrong in a parsimonious chase career since running out an impressive winner of the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle here 12 months ago. He’s hardly had to break sweat to score at Gowran and Punchestown and returns to action after a two-month gap since his latest outing.
de Bromhead recognises the importance of having his charge fresh, and that attention to detail can play its part in a defeat of Galopin Des Champs, whose back-to-back Leopardstown triumphs make him a virtual carbon copy of his rival. The former French-trained six-year-old was himself a 2021 Festival scorer when taking out the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, and went on to score at the Punchestown Festival.
Race 2 – PERTEMPS NETWORK FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE (Grade 3): DUNBOYNE
Trainer: Gordon Elliott – Jockey: Jack Kennedy
If there’s an old fashioned ‘plot’ in this fiercely competitive handicap then DUNBOYNE is surely the one, following a sequence of races in which he’s performed way better than his finishing positions indicate. Getting him into this at the base of the weights after four starts since joining him, Elliott looks to have brought off an enterprising coup, but now the horse has to go out and deliver.
As a Grade 2 winner THIRD WIND makes a certain amount of appeal, even though his latest offering at Haydock was a tad underwhelming. The eight-year-old almost always shows up at Grade 1 tracks, and could surprise his detractors at a working man’s price.
HONEST VIC is a course winner that could also perform better than his price in the market indicates, while top weight SIRE DU BERLAIS has few miles on his racing clock, and looks to be edging back into form.
2022 Cheltenham Festival Day 3 – Thyme Hill to beat competitive Stayers’ field
Race 4 – STAYERS’ HURDLE (Grade 1): THYME HILL
Trainer: Philip Hobbs – Jockey: Tom O’Brien
No surprise to see an open look to the head of the market with horses that keep running against each other pitched back together for the stayers’ hurdling crown.
THYME HILL belatedly has a first crack at the championship decider after missing the 2021 Festival. The eight-year-old nevertheless gained a battling verdict over Roksana in the equivalent race at Aintree, and when last seen at Ascot before Christmas made CHAMP fight for the spoils in the Long Walk.
With Champ then having to settle for second behind a revitalised PAISLEY PARK in the Cleeve Hurdle at this course the staying division is inviting a single horse to make a big impression and that horse can be the lightly-raced THYME HILL.
For exotics don’t leave out last season’s winner FLOORING PORTER, who though beaten by KLASSICAL DREAM at the Dublin Racing Festival, put in easily his best performance since.
Race 5 – PLATE HANDICAP CHASE (Grade 3): SIMPLY THE BETTS (Each Way)
Trainer: Paul Nicholls – Jockey: Harry Cobden
SIMPLY THE BETTS has taken a hike in the weights and changed stables since landing a memorable triumph in this 12 months ago, but his record here stamps the gelding as a horse to leave out at your peril, and I doubt we’ve seen the best of him this season.
Only just out of the money when in need of the race in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, he ran a stormer to finish second under top weight in a similar race on New Year’s Day, and though last of five was not beaten that far by Chantry House in the Cotswold Chase.
Two that could stand in his way and are undoubtedly better handicapped are CELEBRE D’ALLEN and THE GLANCING QUEEN. The former has rattled-off a fine hat-trick over hurdles and fences since joining Philip Hobbs from France, while The Glancing Queen followed back-to-back Listed wins with a good run to chase home L’Homme Presse in a valuably novices’ chase here.
At longer prices the progressive IMPERIAL ALCAZAR and ADRIMEL are worth including in all exotics.
Race 6 – MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE (Grade 2): LOVE ENVOI (Each Way)
Trainer: Harry Fry – Jockey: Jonathan Burke
In spite of a very strong Irish challenge this new race to the Festival can see LOVE ENVOI remain unbeaten.
Campaigned solely on home soil, there was something about the way she made it four from four over jumps at Sandown that stamps the Westerner mare as potentially something special. Her high cruising speed should help her keep out of trouble, for a final battle up the hill that might also involve DINOBLUE.
The latter dotted up on her only outing at Clonmel and has been very strong in the market ever since.
PARTY CENTRAL has apart from one blip gone from strength to strength this season and is a big contender, while BRANDY LOVE might not have been at her best when beaten at Fairyhouse last time.
Race 7 – FULKE WALWYN KIM MUIR CHALLENGE CUP AMATEUR JOCKEYS’ HANDICAP CHASE: COME ON TEDDY (Each Way)
Trainer: Tom George – Jockey: Mr Will Biddick
Connections of COME ON TEDDY have secured a top pilot for the gelding’s first outing in an amateur jockey’s race and the combination has a very solid look to enjoy some kind of payday. The selection is a novice having his first run in a handicap, has good form over hurdles here, and goes to post with plenty of stable confidence behind him.
MISTER COFFEY is a pea out of the same pod and has endured a topsy-turvy time of things since switching to fences. His tendency to jump left should not inconvenience him here, and if his suspect jumping holds up he should be a contender.
The consistent AIN’T THAT A SHAME appeals as the best of the Irish contingent, while confirmed front runner ALMAZHAR GARDE could perform at a higher level than his price dictates he will.
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