Cheltenham Day 3 Tips

Cheltenham Festival is the most anticipated event on the Horse Racing calendar and day 3 of the competition is no exception, with several great races lined-up, including; Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase.

Having a betting strategy in place can help you to find the best odds throughout day 3 of the festival. You can also use some of the general betting tips to make more informed decisions about your race selections.

Cheltenham Festival Day Three Betting Tips

The third day of the Cheltenham Festival is a day for punters. It contains three of the meeting's most competitive handicaps, as well as open championship events in the Stayers' Hurdle and Ryanair Chase, which take place in the middle of the card.

Here are tips for all seven races on day three from Cheltenham, including the feature races at 2.50 and 3.30.

1.30pm – Turners Novices' Chase (Grade 1, 2m4f)

Hype horses Facile Vega and Grey Dawning are respected, but there is just as much substance to GINNY'S DESTINY, who has been bossing it around Cheltenham all season. He won a handicap in good style from a mark of 147 last time, which closely mirrors how last year's winner Stage Star, also trained by Paul Nicholls, came into the race.

Selection: Ginny's Destiny

2.10pm – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (3m)

A lot has been made of the testing ground this week, but it was nearly as soft on the Wednesday two years ago when FAROUK D'ALENE shaped really well in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase. He might have been second behind L'Homme Presse that day, but fell two out. He has a lot of other form in deep ground so should have no issue with conditions, while Rob James takes off an additional 7lb from the topweight's welter burden.

Selection: Farouk D'Alene

2.50pm – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1 - 2m5f)

This race revolves around whether it will be deemed quick enough ground for BANBRIDGE to run. If he does, he is the best horse in the race and deserves to be an overwhelming favourite. Envoi Allen won a weak running last year and Stage Star blotted his copybook when pulling up in handicap company last time. Banbridge, meanwhile, left a subsequent Grade 1 winner trailing in his wake at Kempton. He is two from two at Cheltenham, too.

Selection: Banbridge

3.30pm – Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1 - 3m)

What promised to be a refreshed division has an awfully familiar look to it. Last year, TEAHUPOO looked like the heir apparent when just coming up short and, a year old and having won readily on his only start this season, he can justify favouritism to land the Thursday feature.

Selection: Teahupoo

4.10pm – TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (2m4½f)

The novices' handicap that Ginny's Destiny won here on Trials day continues to be red-hot form year on year. Several out of this year's race have already won. Next up can be THEATRE MAN, who chased the winner home while shaping like there was more to come. He comes here completely unexposed and with Harry Cobden in the saddle.

Selection: Theatre Man

4.50pm – Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2 - 2m1f)

Fergal O'Brien is yet to train a Cheltenham Festival winner, but that can change here with DYSART ENOS. She has a little bit to find with the leading contenders on form, but has been beating lesser opposition really convincingly and testing conditions would pose no problems as it was soft ground when she won at Cheltenham in December.

Selection: Dysart Enos

5.30pm – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase (3m2f)

Ben Pauling's Twig was an excellent second in Tuesday's Ultima Handicap which may explain why he was waited for the Kim Muir for BOWTOGREATNESS. This horse has been a staying handicap chase project all season, and he shaped like the best horse when third at Kempton last time. This is an easier race than the Ultima, and there has been more buzz about this horse than there was about Twig.

Selection: Bowtogreatness

About Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival

Beginning in 1860, Cheltenham Festival has quickly become the most popular Horse Racing event, attracting spectators from all over the country to witness some of the most exciting races over the four days. Throughout the years, Cheltenham Festival expanded its range of racecourses to include flat and jump tracks.

From previous years, the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle have been the highlights of Day 3, and punters will undoubtedly be anticipating the races. 

Allaho had cemented itself as the winner of the previous two Ryanair Chases with successful runs in 2022 and 2021. Flooring Porter followed a similar pattern with two successful runs in the Stayers’ Hurdle during 2022 and 2021. Before that, Big Buck’s became one of the most decorated runners with four consecutive wins from 2009-2012.

As years have passed, the Ryanair Chase has often been succeeded by experienced runners that have had several appearances at the competition, crediting value to knowing the course. The course consists of 17 fences, and the distance covers 2 miles and 4.5 furlongs. 

When it comes to the Stayer’s Hurdle (The feature race), since the consecutive wins laid down by Big Buck’s, the race has had varied winners, including; Lisnagar Oscar, Paisley Park and Penhill.

Cheltenham Day 3 Top Races and Tips

Discover Cheltenham Day 3 tips for each of the top races, including; Ryanair Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle, Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and more.

To begin the day, the Turners Novices’ Chase will get us underway with a 13:30 start. In previous years, the quickest runners have been attributed to Vatour, Noble Prince and Sir Des Champs.

The Ryanair Chase is one of the most anticipated races of Day 3, and there will be a range of top contenders to consider. Having won the previous two Ryanair Chases, Allaho would be among the favourites, but they have been listed as a non-runner for 2023. This race covers a distance of two miles and five furlongs, with seventeen fences included.

Beginning at 15:30, the Stayers’ Hurdle will mark the top race for Day 3 of the Cheltenham festival. Covering three miles, this race is among the long distance tracks at Cheltenham Festival. Stayers' Hurdle odds will likely change in the run-up to Cheltenham Festival Day 3, so watch for any changes.

Other races included in the schedule of Cheltenham Festival Day 3 are; Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle, Plate Handicap Chase, Mares' Novices' Chase and Kim Muir Challenge Cup. This brings a total of seven races for Day 3 and the Kim Muir Challenge Cup will mark the final race of the day.

For each of the races listed above, you can also explore the trends and statistics related to the winning horse trainers. Some have become household names after consecutive wins and a strong history at Cheltenham Festival. The Irish trainer, Willie Mullins, is among that elite list, with his horses winning races across the Festival.

Tips and strategies for Cheltenham Day 3

If you’re considering general betting tips for Cheltenham Day 3, you can look into setting budgets, carrying out research and taking into account specific conditions for the races.

Ahead of Day 3, setting a budget is a vital component of any Cheltenham betting strategy, helping to avoid chasing losses and improve the betting experience throughout the day. You also have a better understanding of how much you would like to use for the races that you are interested in throughout the day.

Although there is no guarantee of winning with betting, general research into the form of each runner and previous successes, will help inform your betting decision for the horse you would like to bet on.

Every day will change considerably, but the conditions of the course at the start of the day can often influence the result, with some runners struggling in certain situations. This can also include the status of jockeys and trainers going into the festival.

Cheltenham Day 3 Trends

Turners Novices Chase

The Turners Novice Chase is a race where typically it is easier to predict the winner than in previous events, this comes off the evidence of winners in the last twelve years. Some of the trends in this race can be found below.

• 12/12 winners had an RPR of 150+
• No bigger than 20/1 to win.
• Were in the top seven in the betting.
• Had an off-break between 29 and 77 days before the festival.

Pertemps Network Final

The second race of in Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival, we have a difficult race to predict if recent years are any indication as none of the last three winners have been lower than 10/1. So, as one of the most competitive races, it's difficult to find trends for winners but here are some small trends we have found among winners.

• Last 10 winners were aged 5-8
• Last ran in the last 76 days
• 9/10 rated 139
• Won two or fewer handicap hurdles

Ryanair Chase

Known as the race for future Gold Cup winners, the Ryanair Chase has produced some fantastic races and is a great build-up to the feature race of the day. Here are some of the trends we have found in regard to the Ryanair Chase.

• 18/18 winners with odds less than 16/1.
• 18/18 within the first eight of the betting odds
• 18/18 had an OR of 152+

Stayers Hurdle

The feature race of the third day is the Stayers Hurdle which is once again, a difficult race to predict. However, the likes of Lisnagar Oscar skew the trends with shocking victories. These are some of the trends we have found from recent races

• 5/6 recent winners have been 7 years old.
• 6/12 winners were outside of the top 3 in the betting
• 10/12 winners were 12/1 or lower in the odds.
• 9/12 winners had 1 previous grade 1 victory.

Plate Handicap Hurdle

This grade 3 race is one which carries one of the biggest fields out of the entire Cheltenham Festival, so for those looking to bet on this race, many would recommend each way markets. However, we recommend checking out these trends

• In the last five years, no favourite has finished lower than second.
• 4/12 of recent winners have been 22/1+ in the odds
• 7/9 recent winners have had a rating between 140-145.

Mares Novices Hurdle

As one of the newer races at the Cheltenham Festival, it isn't particularly easy to find a trend for the race. Especially as the first three winners were the favourite horse and the four following races, the favourite hasn't finished higher than ninth. These horses are also novices, meaning that there isn't too much data to go on but this is what we have found relating to trends.

• Achieved a TS of 85+
• Beaten by no more than 3l on debut
• Made between 2-6 starts this year.

Challenge Cup

With amateur riders on these horses, you'll find that recognisable horses may have double the odds of what you may find in their previous races. Fancied runners tend to perform reasonably well but here are just some of the trends we've found from the Kim Muir Challenge Cup.

• Despite having 20+ runners, 7/12 winners have been in the top 3 in the betting.
• 10/12 winners carried over 11 stone and 1 lb.
• 10/12 winners rated 137 or higher.

How Tips can help strategy on Cheltenham Day 3.

Having a strong betting strategy in place for Day 3 of Cheltenham can help you discover the best odds for each race throughout the day. Without budgets in place, it is also likely to lose track of betting, potentially resulting in chasing losses. Creating a budget can help you bet responsibly throughout Cheltenham and improve your betting experience.

As mentioned previously, there are a number of highly anticipated races during Day 3, so make sure you have researched each runner before considering which bets you would like to place. You can apply some of the general Cheltenham Festival Day 3 tips to find the best odds that are available on the markets.

Cheltenham Day 3 FAQs

What races are on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival?

What is Day 3 of Cheltenham Festival?

The third day of the Cheltenham Festival will happen on Thursday 14th March 2023, including races such as the Ryanair Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle, the Turners’ Novices’ Chase and more.

What is the 13:30 race for Cheltenham Festival Day 3?

To start the day, the Turners’ Novices’ Chase will commence at 13:30. 

What horse should I bet on at Cheltenham Festival Day 3?

There is no guaranteed answer, as many factors influence a race's outcome. However, for some of the biggest races on Day 3, you can view the previous winners and form of runners to discover who is likely to be favourites.

How can I pick a winning horse?

Although there is no way to guarantee success, Cheltenham tips for Day 3 can include research into factors such as; form, course, distance, trainer form and age.

Where can I place a bet on Cheltenham Day 3?

You can place a bet on any of the Cheltenham races on day 3 by checking out our Cheltenham betting page.