Hello again to all past and new readers of my annual blog

Some thoughts below for Day 3. As I write Day 2 has yet to begin and I’m hoping for a better day than the opener. Sadly it seems JP McManus wasn’t reading this blog and didn’t get in touch to give me the lowdown on the birthday winner he had!

Ground on Tuesday looked to be more like Good than Good to Soft. A lot of form coming into this meeting will be soft ground based so if conditions continue we may see some form turnarounds. Some watering will be occurring to try and make it less of a bias

Thursday’s card can be found here: https://www.racingpost.com/racecards/11/cheltenham/2026-03-11

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1.20 Ryanair Mares Novices Hurdle.

A new spot in the schedule for this race now sees it opening the Thursday card. It’s the 11^th renewal of this race and early on it was the preserve of the Willie Mullins stable who won the first 5 runnings. That last five have gone elsewhere with the De Bromhead stable taking it twice.

Mullins will try to restore his name to the crown with hot favourite Bambino Fever who won last year’s Festival Bumper. Her hurdling form this season hasn’t seen her enhance her reputation too much though. She was turned over at odds of 1-4 by the reopposing Oldschool Outlaw first time out (said to be needing the run badly) and then beat nothing of note next time out. It’s interesting she wears a tongue tie for the first time here indicating there may have been an issue with her before

Oldschool Outlaw is here main opponent in the betting here and has stepped up on her bumper form to be unbeaten in three races this season. She is unproven on this course.

She easily beat another Mullins re-opposer in Place de la Nation last time over a longer trip on heavy ground. Place de la Nation is an interesting runner here though as she returns to the track/distance where she ran a great race to be 5^th in the Triumph Hurdle last year. She may well improve significantly on this better ground (and she is owned by the race sponsor). The booking of Danny Gilligan to ride here (only ridden twice for Mullins) rather than one of the stables regular riders is a slight concern though

Carrigmoorna Spruce and La Conquiere were other useful Bumper performers last year who have translated their form well to hurdles. La Conquiere does look like more of a speedy type to me though and I’m not sure the uphill finish here is ideal.

We must also give plenty of respect to the De Bromhead mares, Echoing Silence and Full of Life, given he has won this race twice recently. The latter beat Carrigmoorna Spruce last time and has plenty of good ground form which is an asset here

Kingston Queen is also worth a mention as she was backed to beat Supreme winner Old Park Star here earlier in the year. It’s no surprise now that she was easily beaten but she won’t have the same calibre to face here but may need further (she wears cheekpieces for first time to help with the shorter distance)

There is a lot of softer ground form coming into this but if conditions stay as they are I can see some form reversals

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2.00 Jack Richards Novices Limited Hcap Chase

Paul Nicholls struck gold for the first time in a handicap for several years when Caldwell Potter won this last year. There will be parallels drawn to his runner Regents Stroll this year. Both were classy hurdlers who hadn’t quite realised their full potential over chases coming into this. Quebecois went close for the stable on Tuesday to give confidence in the stable form

A similar profile could be said to come from Slade Steel who won the Supreme Novices Hurdle here in 2024. His chasing career hasn’t quite progressed as expected which his why his mark has now dropped a bit to 145. There are a lot of second places on his scoresheet recently but if things fall right he has the ability to be dangerous to all.

Sixmilebridge has course winning form and has performed at a level better than a handicapper this season. He runs here instead of Graded races as this is his ideal distance. What may not be ideal for him though is not to be encountering his favoured soft ground.

Jordans Cross has won here this season and may also have beaten Kdeux Saint Fray here but for a late fall. He has paid for his good form this season with an increased mark.

Meetmebythesea, is probably the most unexposed and looked to be hating the heavy ground at Newbury last time. I can easily excuse that run. This longer trip promises to suit

Wingmen has the ability to be better than his mark of 142 but I’m not sure this track suits him based on his two previous efforts here. Stencil was favourite for the Fred Winter here last year but disappointed. He is another to consider. He has often looked like he has more to offer but his mark is still steadily increasing without having achieved the big win that he has threatened to in the past

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2.40 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle

This used to be the follow up race to the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday. As it has moved to Thursday that now means it is being run over the New Course for the first time (Old Course used on Tues and Weds is a bit less demanding of stamina).

It’s a controversial race already but even moreso now with the best 3 mares in training all running in the Champion Hurdle. In the past some have dodged the Champion for easier pickings here. The result is that one or both of the races have become diluted in quality.

This year it’s this race that has come off far worse and although it is a Grade 1 race it really is a Grade 2 in disguise. The answer for me has always been to move this race to another meeting where top mares can run in both…but that’s a topic for another day.

We are left with 7 runners including last years 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th (Jade De Grugy, Take No Chances and Jetara).

Favourite however is Wodhooh, who did win another handicap at the Festival and gave last year’s victor, Lossiemouth, a scare in another Grade 1 at Liverpool.

She has the best form and has course winning form. She is clearly the one to beat but she is odds on now and hardly screaming value.

Jade De Grugy led them at a relatively slow pace last year and was in prime position to secure her good postion. We may get a similar scenario here although outsider Dream on Baby does give another possibility of adding some pace to this race.

If there were 8 runners, then I’d be nominating Take No Chances as the each way pick. She wasn’t helped by the pace last year – so she could get caught again – but the stiffer course this time will suit her. However, with only 7 runners and only 2 places she isn’t so attractive

It’s a no bet race for me now. Selection would have to be Wodhooh to win but she is too short a price for me in what could be a tactical affair.

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3.20 Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle

For the stayers title we have the winners of the last two renewals – Teahupoo and Bob Olinger – facing off some young improvers in Honesty Policy, Ma Shantou and Kabral Du Mathan. If Impose Toi hadn’t come up short on soft ground last time he’d a big contender too…and they we have the former top novice Ballyburn who seems to be struggling to find his ideal trip nowadays. This is a competitive race.

A big factor for me will be the pace of the race. Only Hewick has really raced from the front before – and he doesn’t do that so much in his later years. Last year the outsider Gowel Road helped to give some pace angle to the race – he isnt here to fulfil that role this time

Likely favourite Teahupoo shouldn’t be suited by a sprint so may have to make his move early to draw some sting out of others. He was left vulnerable to the finishing kick of Bob Olinger last year and that one will want to arrive late again ( he may be 11 years old now but still looked in form last time and he is unbeaten in 4 runs at this track)

If they do go slow then the biggest benefactor should be Kabral Du Mathan though. He has improved dramatically for Dan Skelton this season improving his mark by 15 lbs…and he may not have reached his ceiling yet. He is yet to race over 3 miles and a searching stamina test would not be ideal…but with decent ground and no great pace he could be in his element here

I can make a case for many in this field so it’s another that a struggle to make a bet recommendation for.

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4.00 Ryanair Chase

Fact to File dominated this race last year and having been diverted from the Gold Cup again I find him difficult to oppose. His price won’t make anyone rich though.

I didn’t expect 9 runners in this with Jonbon and Impaire et Passe looking more likely to wait for Aintree.

Heart Wood was 2^nd last year but has 9 lengths to make up and may prefer a softer surface. Banbridge will like the decent ground but has twice disappointed at the last two festivals (even allowing for the fact that ground may have been softer than ideal I expected better from him). It could be his King George win last year took something out of him whe he ran here…this year he put it all in again for that race when getting narrowly beaten. Fact to File was beaten there but I can’t believe that race showed him in his true light

Of the outsiders, I could see JPR One running well at a big price now that he has proven himself at this longer trip. He should get the decent ground he needs to show his best

They should all be playing for places though if Fact to File turns up at 100% so he has to be the selection (but not a bet at odds on)

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4.40 Pertemps Final Hcap Hurdle

This is another race where I made my main view clear on X a couple of weeks ago

Nicky Henderson has a very good record in this race for each way bettors. He supplied the first and second last year. Bold Endeavour did himself finish 4th at 50/1 in this race two years ago (James Bowen rode then and is on board again). That was on a much higher mark of 143 and carrying 11st 3lbs on ground that may have been softer than ideal.

He has dropped to 130 now and carrying much less weights of 10st 6lbs. That is due to him spending last season at another stable (Laura Morgan) where he seemed to lose his form. He came back to his old home where his only run at Huntingdon (where he qualified) was a clear indication that he still retained ability. He was bang in contention until fitness told but the qualification was secured.

I do like the Pertemps in relation to other handicap hurdles as runners have to be placed in qualifying races to get in. That means it’s much harder to get an unexposed young improver into the race off a favourable mark.

Therefore although Bold Endeavour is now 10 years old, that’s less of a concern with me here. Older horses have performed very well in this race before as it is more of a level playing field in my opinion.

We have a quite short priced favourite here in the Dan Skelton trained Supremely West. Books have sniffed a Skelton plot here for sometime since the qualifier here in October (Ma Shantou the inner and Electric Mason 2^nd have both advertised the form a lot since). His next run at the track was…shall we say ’interesting’…and sparked the attention of the stewards (Kikijo won that but he’d seem to want softer ground than he’ll probably get here. There was a clear bias to the outside of the track but this 5/4 favourite was given little chance by racing on the deeper ground on the inside. That run wasn’t missed by many. His price is too low for me now though – and I think he ideally may want some soft in the ground. After the Skeltons had a similar short priced handicap favourite scoot in on Tuesday (Madara) I won’t be expecting much of an increase in value on his price now.

I did also like an outsider in Lihyan at a big price given the ground conditions. As things stand though he is a reserve and needs one horse to drop put. Chances are that won’t happen but if he does sneak in he deserves some consideration at a big price with 6 or more places (has good course form and the ground will be no problem)

Selection is BOLD ENDEAVOUR. However having already put him up on X when 25/1 was available then my recommended bet would have been back then. He is half that price now but still the one I like best

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5.20 Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

We invariably get a JP McManus horse teed up to win this race. Last year it was Johnnywho who looked all over the winner (won on Tuesday this year) but he was denied by Daily Present who comes back to defend his crown.

Jeriko Du Reponet was the talking horse for him this year after managing to creep his mark down to the magic 145 (that is the max allowed for this race). Money has also now come for his Waterford Whispers to confuse the situation a little more. This one has threatened to outperform in a big race for some time (was 2^nd when the money did come down for him in Martin Pipe hurdle on Friday in 2024).

The jockey booking of Derek O’Connor would suggest Jeriko is the owner’s main hope but as saw in Tuesday’s Ultima (when his perceived number 3 hope Johnnywho won) that doesn’t mean the others are there to make up the numbers.

Kim Roque had several handicap entries but this one always looked to be his favoured one and this trip may suit and he has run well at this course before

I really liked The Enabler’s first chasing effort this season and had him marked down as one to follow. I didn’t expect him to be going up in trip though and would have been keener over shorter. The ground could help him though and he has one of the better amateurs on board. I might have had a small bet if he’s appeared at around 33/1 but 16/1 is less appealing

At a big price I’ll row in with Monbeg Genius here for a bit of value. His mark has dropped to now being only 1lb higher than his 3^rd in the Ultima in 2023. That was a really strong race and his form has been patchy since. He’s had two runs at Aintree recently where the course didn’t suit but I think he has run well in other races despite not being placed.

His mark is getting attractive to me now and another 5lb can be taken off by his jockey who went close in last years Foxhunters on Willitgoahead. With the stable having a winner already at this meeting, I can see him being competitive here. Ideally good to soft ground would be what he wants so he’d appreciate any watering

That’s a wrap on my thoughts for Thursday’s card. Hopefully some inspiration in there whilst doing your own studying.

Thanks for reading once again and good luck to all with whatever you end up supporting.

Paul