Day three of the Cheltenham Festival sees more Grade 1 action to get stuck into, including the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle.
There’s also four competitive handicaps on the seven-race card including a cracking renewal of the Plate.
We’ve picked out our three best bets for Thursday’s action including a last time out winner that can outrun her odds once again.
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Cheltenham Festival Day three Tips
1.20 Cheltenham – Air Of Entitlement
Henry de Bromhead won this race back in 2021 and he has a strong hand in Thursday’s opener with three runners.
Air Of Entitlement is perhaps the most interesting of the three. She’s got plenty of experience on her side compared to some of her rivals having graduated from point-to-point company with a win in a Cork bumper back in April 2024.
She failed to fire at the Punchestown Festival at the end of last season’s campaign but bounced back in taking style in a Down Royal maiden hurdle on Boxing Day.
That form has been significantly boosted since by a nice prospect (Ballybow) winning twice subsequently, bottling up in a maiden hurdle before a Grade 3 success last time out.
De Bromhead’s runner showed plenty of pace the last day, hinting that a drop back to a stiff 2m1f could be ideal and we know she’ll handle conditions given that the win last time out came on good to yielding.
Rachel Blackmore appears to prefer this mares’ chance to two other nice prospects and that hint should be taken given her record for her boss at the Cheltenham Festival.
2.00 Cheltenham – Firefox
This race has completely changed complexion now that it is a handicap and Cheltenham has been rewarded with a full field size.
One that could be in a different league to his rivals is Firefox who was third in behind Majborough at the Dublin Racing Festival.
He was a talented novice hurdler last season and has looked just as effective over fences this term, finishing runner-up in a Grade 1 earlier in the campaign. He may be capable of making a mockery of his mark of 150.
3.20 Cheltenham – Fact To File
Fact To File has clearly been shaping like a non-stayer over three miles this season but he’s been keeping some smart company behind Galopin Des Champs and a strongly run 2m5f could be right up his street here having won the John Durkan at the beginning of the campaign (beating Galopin Des Champs in the process).
This previous Festival winner goes particularly well at Cheltenham and there’s a suspicion that Il Est Francais will set this race up for the favourite. He’s versatile with regards to conditions and he looks like the “banker” on day three of the Festival.
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