Top jockeys after day two
Barry Geraghty 3
Nico De Boinville 1
Mark Walsh 1
Jamie Codd 1
Paul Townend 1
Rachael Blackmore 1
Harry Skelton 1
David Bass 1
Aidan Coleman 1
Jonathan Plouganou 1
Brendan Powell 1
Davy Russell 1
Barry Geraghty hasn’t been top jockey here since 2012 but he’s well on his way, considering three winners was enough to win it last year. This is already his best Festival since 2014 (Jezki, O’Faolains Boy, More Of That). Paul Townend finally got one on the board after knocking on the door with form figures of 4F4233P. Still, Davy Russell’s form figures here this week are better: 20214245. Rachael Blackmore had three rides on Wednesday and was second twice.
Top jockey betting:
Barry Geraghty Evens
Paul Townend 4-1
Rachael Blackmore 11-2
Davy Russell 13-2
Nico de Boinville 10-1
Mark Walsh 14-1
Aidan Coleman 25-1
Top trainers after day two
Nicky Henderson 4 wins
Gordon Elliott 3
Henry de Bromhead 2
Willie Mullins 1
Paul Nicholls 1
Kim Bailey 1
David Bridgwater 1
David Cottin 1
Britain 7
Ireland 6
France 1
Nicky Henderson has managed three Grade One wins already this week and that’s even with Altior being lame. Santini in the Gold Cup is the shortest priced of his remaining runners. Gordon Elliott has got himself another Festival handicap and he’s also had five placed runners in the handicaps so far. Willie Mullins has found it tougher going but, for him, there’s always the Bumper. He’s saddled five favourites in the 14 races so far and they were all turned over.
Top trainer betting:
Gordon Elliott Evens
Nicky Henderson 11-8
Willie Mullins 5-1
Henry de Bromhead 16-1
Paul Nicholls 33-1
Today’s races and our tips
1.30 Marsh Novice Chase
Faugheen (nb) 9-2
2.10 Pertemps Handicap Hurdle
Relegate 13-2
2.50 Ryanair Chase
A Plus Tard 7-4
3.30 Stayers Hurdle
City Island 12-1
4.10 Brown Advisory Plate Handicap Chase
Simply The Betts (nap) 7-2
4.50 Mares Novice Hurdle
Concertista 5-1
5.30 Kim Muir Handicap Chase
Just A Sting 33-1
This could be the day when Ireland asserts, or at least I’m hoping so, having put them down for wins in both the centrepieces races and three others as well. Simply The Betts is proving popular after we all saw the form boosted by Imperial Aura on Tuesday. Concertista halved in price during Wednesday, which was a bit disappointing but shows the market isn’t completely sold on Minella Melody. I’m surprised there’s not more interest in Just A Sting, given that he was a popular choice the last day in what used to be the Racing Post Chase.
The Betfair Cheltenham Festival tipping competition
Congratulations to FillyManilli, who won Wednesday’s competition on a final score of +17, having picked Ferny Hollow (11-1), Champ (4-1) and Politologue (6-1). Robertkeen was second on +16, a valiant effort. Filly, we’ll be in touch with you by email about your prize towards the end of the week.
You could win a £100 account credit from Betfair by proving your tipping prowess on today’s races. All you have to do is give us your selections for all of today’s races at Cheltenham. As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional stakes of £1 at starting price on each tip. Non-runners count as losers.
Please post all your tips in a single posting, using the comment facility below, before the first race at 1.30pm.
There are seven races at Cheltenham today and you must post a single selection for each race. Our usual terms and conditions, which you can read here, will apply, except that this will be a strictly one-day thing. If we get a tie after all the races have been run, the winner will be the one who posted their tips earliest out of those with the highest score. If an entrant has to repost their selections because of a non-runner, we will use the time of their later posting for tiebreak purposes.
If you don’t win today, don’t despair. You’ll have one more shot at our Cheltenham competition tomorrow (Friday).
Preamble
The third day of the Festival felt a little like the meeting’s poor relation when it moved from three days to four in 2005, and for a few years, Thursday was the least popular of the week in terms of attendance. But it jumped past the opening day in 2008, when the second day was lost to high winds, and has roared ahead in recent years, relegating Wednesday to a clear last place in attendance and, as often as not, pulling in the second-best crowd of the week behind Gold Cup day.
It’s only a hunch, but my guess would be that plenty of racegoers who can’t handle (or afford) four days in Gloucestershire are coming for the last two days instead, and an afternoon like last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle day, when Bryony Frost and Frodon took the Ryanair and then Paisley Park landed the feature, can only persuade them that they’ve got the balance right.
Anyone who has been tempted to give Thursday a try by last year’s excitement, meanwhile, will be delighted that today’s card not only offers the chance of a repeat performance, but also has the added twist of the old favourite Faugheen, a former Champion Hurdle winner, attempting to win a Grade One novice chase at the age of 12.
The Faugheen-Frodon-Paisley Park treble is currently on offer at around 55-1, so it’s a big ask, but it might be worth a couple of pounds just in case.
The action switches to the New course for the final two days, the sun is out at Cheltenham and the official going for this afternoon’s card is soft, good-to-soft in places. Chris Cook’s tips for the seven races are here – including a 14-1 pick to beat Paisley Park – and the action is under way at 1.30pm GMT.