Cheltenham Day 3: Your guide to the highlights

Two down, two to go and hoping for more of the same - or not, depending on how the wallet has fared thus far.

Cheltenham Day 3: Your guide to the highlights

By Peter O’ Dwyer

Two down, two to go and hoping for more of the same - or not, depending on how the wallet has fared thus far.

This year’s Festival has provided thrills and spills aplenty so far with strong favourites like Faugheen; Sire De Grugy and Vautour romping to victory convincingly, while some big names have been usurped too – most notably Hurricane Fly on the opening day.

It’s an uncertain game the sport of kings, but what we are guaranteed is more of the same in the closing two days.

Today sees some of the biggest names in racing feature in a host of magnificent races, the highlight of which is the World Hurdle where Big Bucks and Annie Power will battle it out.

Here’s what to look out for on Day 3 of the Festival:

- The JLT Novices’ Chase is the first race on the card this afternoon with Felix Yonger ridden by Ruby Walsh and trained by Willie Mullins set to go off as favourite. If you’re getting a sense of deja vú it’s okay, Walsh and Mullins have already won the opening races on both Tuesday and Wednesday with the favourite.

Felix Yonger has strong claims with the drying ground likely to suit and despite an average gallop at Leopardstown, is a justified favourite. Danger could lurk in the form of Taquin Du Seuil or Henry de Bromhead’s Sizing Gold who are available at 9/1 and 12/1 respectively.

Barry Geraghty has been in fantastic form at this year’s Festival and rides third-favourite Oscar Whisky, with Wonderful Charm second only Felix Yonger with the bookies.

- Next up is the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle at 2.05. Richard Johnson’s Fingal Bay looks a classy horse and may well have too much for the rest of the field. He is currently joint favourite with stablemate If In Doubt ridden by AP McCoy who is looking for his first winner at this year’s Festival.

Jetson finished third in the same race last year and is in with a good shout of at least placing again while Josie’s Orders trained by Jonjo O’ Neill is, we’re told, JT McNamara’s tip of the day.

Given the history of this race the favourites’ chances always have to be taken with a pinch of salt and looking towards a bigger priced horse might well pay dividends.

- The 2.40 Ryanair Chase looks a mouth-watering affair with, again, a very competitive field to choose from. Much of the intrigue in this race comes from the rematch between the two favourites Benefficient and Dynaste. It was the former who won the day in the novices’ hurdle at last year’s meeting and who leads the betting, but Dynaste has strong claims here.

In the absence of Irish-trained First Lieutenant who is Gold Cup-bound, Tom Scudamore’s eight-year-old may well gain revenge this time out having been the more impressive of the two in the interim.

Boston Bob, Al Ferof, Menorah and last year’s novice handicap chase winner Rajdhani Express are certainly capable of striking from further back in the field too and deserve respect. It’s the duel of the two favourites that really gives this race its spice though.

- And onto the World Hurdle, the day’s feature race. Much like the Ryanair Chase, any number of a strong field could land the spoils but, in truth, it’s all about the two favourites - Ruby Walsh’s Annie Power and Big Bucks.

Their respective credentials speak for themselves: Annie Power is being talked about as the best national hunt mare since the great Dawn Run while Big Bucks has seen it all before as a four-time winner of this race.

Perhaps crucially though Ruby Walsh will be in the saddle for the mare this time round rather than the serial champion as his extremely fruitful relationship with Paul Nichols’s has come to an end. Instead, Sam Twiston-Davies will ride Nichols’s horse.

Other contenders include At Fisher’s Cross ridden by AP McCoy, Mouse Morris’s Rule The World and Barry Geraghty’s mount More Of That.

If Annie Power stays up the hill she’ll take a lot of beating, but if any horse can do it it’s the great Big Bucks aiming for a fifth win in the World Hurdle.

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