Neil Morrice shares his race-by-race selections for day 3 of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2024 – DAY 3
Race 1 TURNERS NOVICES’ CHASE (Grade 1)
No5 GREY DAWNING (Nap)
Trainer: Dan Skelton – Jockey: Harry Skelton
GREY DAWNING was an unlucky loser when beaten by GINNY’S DESTINY on his only visit to Prestbury Park before Christmas when a shuddering mistake cost him a lot more ground than he was beaten by. The Nap subsequently ran right away with the Grade 2 Hampton Novices’ Chase at Warwick despite lugging left when in command. Aside from that one blip, superior jumping is the grey’s trump card and granted the testing conditions there’s no surprise he’s been targeted at this race in favour of the longer Brown Advisory Chase.
Ginny’s Destiny has delighted Paul Nicholls with three wins from four starts in a chase campaign exclusive to Cheltenham. He proved much too good for Theatre Man at the January trials meeting and as a percentage call will command abundant support.
IROKO arrives as the joker in the pack as he tries to back up last year’s success in the Martin Pipe. A smooth winner of his only start over fences at Warwick, he was then ruled out for the season but has miraculously re-entered the fray and has a chance.
FACILE VEGA hasn’t quite lived up to expectations as a chaser but his defeats at Leopardstown were boosted to a point by Found A Fifty and Il Etait Temps on Tuesday.
Prediction: 1st GREY DAWNING, 2nd Ginny’s Destiny, 3rd Iroko, 4th Facile Vega
Race 2 PERTEMPS NETWORK FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE
No10 MILL GREEN (Each Way)
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Freddie Gingell
Henderson’s horses have been in and out through March and three were scratched on Wednesday, but if there’s one you could rely upon to run a race it’s the veteran MILL GREEN. He ran his heart out to finish third to Good Time Jonny in the corresponding race last year, and has subsequently earned in all but one of his five races over hurdles and fences.
CLEATUS POOLAW makes a habit of troubling the judge and has never finished out of the first two in just five starts. On a first venture outside Ireland, and with underfoot conditions to suit, he has to be taken seriously.
GABBY’S CROSS has hit the woodwork in each of his races since switching back to hurdles, and while not seen since November there’s a strong sense that protection of his mark was a priority.
Mill Green’s stablemate CHANTRY HOUSE receives first-time blinkers and is not out of it based on his earning run at Huntingdon, while CUTHBERT DIBBLE has won his last three for Nigel Twiston-Davies and doesn’t need to improve too much more to get firmly into the shake-up.
Prediction: 1st MILL GREEN, 2nd Cleatus Poolaw, 3rd Gabby’s Cross, 4th Chantry House, 5th Cuthbert Dibble
Race 3 RYANAIR CHASE (Grade 1)
No1 AHOY SENOR (Each Way)
Trainer: Lucinda Russell – Jockey: Derek Fox
Though he comes with risks attached, AHOY SENOR can strut his stuff with the best of them on his day. His trainer elected to take in this Day 3 feature in favour of a shot of the Gold Cup, and if getting into a rhythm the nine-year-old can outperform his price. Without a tack issue affecting him in the straight, he would surely have had a say in the finish of the Cotswold Chase here in January, while he was travelling perfectly well when falling in the 2023 Gold Cup, adding water to the theory that if he can avoid trouble he’s as good round here as the best of them.
STAGE STAR is far shorter in the betting than his barnmate HITMAN but it wouldn’t surprise me to see the latter rise to the occasion under Bryony Frost. His second placing to Shishkin in a Grade 2 at Newbury last month was the best we’ve seen from him for a while.
ENVOI ALLEN is the best horse in the race if back to the level displayed when he won this race 12 months ago. In a select campaign, he made Gerri Colombe fight for the spoils in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal back in November, and has been intentionally freshened up for this, his main objective.
BANBRIDGE downed Pic D’Orhy in a Grade 2 at Kempton on a belated seasonal reappearance, but his chances have been severely compromised by the testing conditions, and there is some doubt over whether he will travel over for the race.
Prediction: 1st AHOY SENOR, 2nd Hitman, 3rd Envoi Allen
Race 4 PADDY POWER STAYERS’ HURDLE (Grade 1)
No13 TEAHUPOO
Trainer: Gordon Elliott – Jockey: Jack Kennedy
TEAHUPOO stands out in this Day 3 feature as a young pretender to the stayers’ crown against a field of mainly ageing stalwarts. Third to Sire Du Berlais in this race last year, the seven-year-old looked to have further improved when hosing up on his return to the fray in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse in December. Mindful of how much more effective he is when fresh, Elliott has intentionally kept him away from the track in order to have him cherry-ripe for this one day.
Sire Du Berlais underwhelmed on his only start this season and is likely to struggle, while FLOORING PORTER returns to hurdling following a brief flirtation with chasing.
There’s a cloud over the Nick Henderson horses that could result in the defection of veteran CHAMP, while another near teenager PAISLEY PARK will need to find fresh reserves if he’s to win back his crown.
NOBLE YEATS is a high-class chaser who showed he can still do it on the hurdling stage when landing the Cleeve Hurdle here and has a chance, and another pair of younger contenders that could have a say are a rejuvenated SIR GERHARD and CRAMBO, the latter having short-headed Paisley Park in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
The one that might surprise with another frame finish however is DASHEL DRASHER, who since placing in this in 2023 has earned in all four starts in Graded races, including a win in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
Prediction: 1st TEAHUPOO, 2nd Dashel Drasher, 3rd Paisley Park, 4th Crambo
Race5 TRUSTATRADER PLATE HANDICAP CHASE
No7 SHAKEM UP’ARRY (Each Way)
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Ben Jones
CREBILLY has been one of the biggest ante-post movers and is carded to go off ridiculously short for a race that’s only his fourth over fences. Two of his chase runs happened here resulting in a fall when he was poised to challenge Ginny’s Destiny in a novices’ handicap at the November meeting, and a slightly disappointing fourth behind that same rival in December. He then found a decent turn of foot to score at Exeter and remains an exciting prospect.
Irish trainers are responsible for almost half of the field of 21, from which GLENGOULY takes the eye in the colours of Florida Pearl. He’s hit the woodwork in each of his starts this season and comes here a fresh horse, though his only success over fences came 15 months ago.
THEATRE MAN brings allure to the race for trainer Richard Bandey, because although still a maiden over fences his Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase form over the course and distance in January is very strong, while Harry Cobden is an eye-taking booking for the gelding.
One that looks nailed-on to get into the argument is SHAKEM UP’ARRY, who was a deserving winner here at the end of January. A bold jumper who gallops with his head low to the ground, he finished third in the corresponding race last year, and although 9lb higher has according to his trainer, never been better.
Prediction: 1st SHAKEM UP’ARRY, 2nd CREBILLY, 3rd Theatre Man, 4th Glengouly
Race 6 RYANAIR MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE (Grade 2)
No6 GOLDEN ACE (Each Way)
Trainer: Jeremy Scott – Jockey: Lorcan Williams
Three big names put their unbeaten records on the line in this relatively new race to the Festival programme. BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD wowed many with the way she cruised home in a Listed race at Navan and will surely head the market in front of JADE DE GRUGY, who made it three from three in a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse.
This match-up between Elliott and Mullins is challenged by the Fergal O’Brien-trained DYSART ENOS, who since landing a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree has made it three from three over hurdles.
Reputations are there to be shot at whatever the occasion, and I fancy taking on all three with West Country mare GOLDEN ACE. True, she was beaten by Dysart Enos at Aintree, but her back-to-back Taunton triumphs following a wind operation were hugely impressive, and she’s more than twice the price of any of the main protagonists.
Prediction: 1st GOLDEN ACE, 2nd Brighterdaysahead, 3rd Jade De Grugy, 4th Dysart Enos
Race 7 FULKE WALWYN KIM MUIR CHALLENGE CUP AMATEUR JOCKEYS’ HANDICAP CHASE
No16 BOWTOGREATNESS (Each Way)
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Mr Jack Andrews
Ben Pauling is not shy in stating that he thinks BOWTOGREATNESS is the best-handicapped horse in his Naunton stables, the eight-year-old remains a maiden over fences after nine attempts, but on his last two starts has shown distinct improvement.
He was one of the last to come off the bridle in the novices’ handicap chase won by Ginny’s Destiny here in January, and looked to have plenty of running left in him when a closing third in the Coral Trophy at Kempton. Back on a course that will play to his strengths, and with assured handling from the saddle, the gelding can prove a bet worth waiting for and repel the challenges of WHERE IT ALL BEGAN, INOTHEWAYYURTHINKIN and RAPPER.
Prediction: 1st BOWTOGREATNESS, 2nd Where It All Began, 3rd Inothewayyurthinkin, 4th Rapper, 5th Annual Invictus
