John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.
Robcour pair can fight out Stayers’ Hurdle again
Last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle (15:20) came down to a fight between two horses representing the same owner, Robcour, but different stables, with the Henry de Bromhead-trained Bob Olinger getting the better of Teahupoo for Gordon Elliott by a length and three quarters to give Rachael Blackmore her final Festival victory. The first two are back again this year and are the top two in the Timeform ratings, Teahupoo rated just the better 2 lb ahead.
Teahupoo was contesting his third Stayers’ Hurdle last year and has started favourite for all three, finishing a close third to stablemate Sire du Berlais in 2023 and then denying Flooring Porter a third win in the race when successful under softer conditions in 2024. Since last year’s defeat, Teahupoo has won all three of his starts, going on to win the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown and then returning in November to win the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse for a third time. Unlike the last two seasons, Teahupoo has had an additional race between then and Cheltenham, winning the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown when looking as good ever. Not only did he turn the tables on Bob Olinger, seven lengths back in second, he had Ballyburn the same distance back in third who had almost got up to beat him in the Hatton’s Grace.
But that was Bob Olinger’s only run since last year’s Festival and he looks value to get the better of Teahupoo again under similar conditions to twelve months ago when he had too much finishing speed for the favourite. Unbeaten in four starts at Cheltenham, Bob Olinger comes alive at the Festival where he has also won the Baring Bingham in 2021 and the following season’s Golden Miller Novices’ Chase, albeit in fortunate circumstances when Galopin des Champs fell at the last. Although he’s one of the senior runners at the age of eleven, that didn’t stop Sire du Berlais winning at the same age, and Bob Olinger can become the latest horse to win the Stayers’ Hurdle more than once.
McManus stars clash in Ryanair Chase
J. P. McManus has added plenty of interest to the Ryanair Chase (16:00) by declaring Jonbon as well, even though he already had last year’s winner Fact To File trading as the odds-on favourite. Fact To File remains the clear top-rated on Timeform ratings and the one to beat, though Jonbon, a top-class chaser in his own right, is now next in the ratings 6 lb behind him.
Fact To File hardly needs back-up, but on the other hand, there doesn’t seem much point in McManus keeping one of his very best chasers in his box. After all, Jonbon has been in top form since the turn of the year, winning the Clarence House Chase and then the Ascot Chase when recording another gutsy win and looking well suited by the extra distance in landing the twelfth Grade 1 of his career. There’s no conflict of interest between the two jockey-wise, either, with Nico de Boinville being Jonbon’s usual partner and Mark Walsh having ridden Fact To File in all his races over jumps. Jonbon’s participation also gives him another opportunity to win his first Festival race, having been runner-up in the Supreme, Arkle and Champion Chase in his three previous visits.
But Fact To File will be a tough nut to crack, having won over fences at the last two Festivals, landing the odds in the Brown Advisory as a novice and then jumping superbly when putting up a flawless performance in last year’s Ryanair to beat Heart Wood, who’s in the field again, by nine lengths. Fact To File returned to winning form over three miles last time in the Irish Gold Cup but, lacking a Cheltenham Gold Cup entry due to stamina concerns, he returns to defend his Ryanair title. Jonbon is yet to finish out of the first two but could be fighting out the places with Banbridge if the latter can reproduce the sort of form that saw him win last season’s King George and go very close to winning it again last time.
Prolific Wodhooh set for another Festival success
The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle (14:40), switched from its former Tuesday slot in the Festival programme, gives Wodhooh another chance to add to her remarkably prolific record for Gordon Elliott. The Flat-bred daughter of Le Havre, who failed to win in four starts for Sir Michael Stoute and Al Shaqab Racing, doesn’t have the most obvious background for a jumper but has excelled over hurdles instead, winning nine of her ten starts thanks in no small part to excellent placing on the part of her trainer. Wodhooh hardly needs excuses for her sole defeat over jumps, either, as that came at the hands of Lossiemouth in last year’s Aintree Hurdle.
Wodhooh, with the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag, is a Festival winner already, her win in last season’s Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap in the Festival’s final race meaning that Elliott was saved from going home empty-handed from Cheltenham. She has won both her starts this season, having a bit in hand in the Ascot Hurdle in November and then having a straightforward task in a Grade 3 contest back against her own sex at Leopardstown just after Christmas. The placed mares from that race, Feet of A Dancer and Dream On Baby meet her on worse terms here.
Whilst in the shadow of stablemate Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth among the current top mares, Wodhooh has a clear chance of making her Grade 1 breakthrough as she heads the Timeform ratings. Her biggest threat is likely to come from Willie Mullins’ representative Jade de Grugy. She has been chasing this season, but over hurdles has met with her only two defeats at the Festival, notably when chasing stablemate Lossiemouth home in this race last year.
Cheltenham Festival coverage
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