Cheltenham Day 3 Tips – Selections for All Seven Thursday Races

Cheltenham Day 3 Selections

The 2022 Cheltenham Festival is now at the halfway point and the greatest show on turf continues on Thursday with seven fantastic races for punters to enjoy. Here at Racing Tips, our racing editor has identified selections for all seven races on the Day 3 card, which includes reasoning and the main dangers to look out for.

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Galopin Des Champs (1.30 Cheltenham, Turners Novices’ Chase) 11/10

Just the four runners line up for this year’s Turners Novices’ Chase with no British representative in the field.

A real mouthwatering clash in any case between Bob Olinger and GALOPIN DES CHAMPS, with the latter taken to come out on top.

This 6yo has gone from strength to strength since landing the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at last year’s Festival, subsequently going on to land Grade 1 honours over both hurdles and fences.

His recent success came at the Dublin Racing Festival when dispatching of a competitive field with ease. Connections keep him at this intermediate distance on the back of that, which results in a clash with Bob Olinger, yet that runner arguably hasn’t shown the same sparkle chasing as he did hurdling and therefore the balance is tilted in favour of the bigger priced Mullins runner.

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Sire Du Berlais (2.10 Cheltenham, Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle) 6/1

Not a vintage renewal of the Pertemps and that makes SIRE DU BERLAIS all the more attractive considering that he has won two stronger renewals of this event in recent years and has overall Festival form figures of 4112, that latest second coming in the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott’s charge put up an eye-catching showing in a Warwick qualifier last time when finishing an outpaced fourth despite having been found to have been struck into post-race.

This stiffer test will suit Sire Du Berlais, whilst a subsequent 2lb weights drop leaves him on an attractive mark, that even before factoring in his talented amateur’s 7lb claim.

Mouse Morris’s Whatsnotoknow is an interesting alternative at a significantly greater price albeit a record of 1-24 suggests he’s vulnerable for win purposes.

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Allaho (2.50 Cheltenham, Ryanair Chase) 4/6

Considered to be many punters banker of the week, ALLAHO lines up in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham on Thursday, a race that he won by an impressive 12l last year.

Willie Mullins’ charge has, if anything, only enhanced his reputation since then, winning both starts this season, building on a John Durkan win when landing a Thurles Grade 2 last time.

That latest victory has been boosted since with the second landing a British Grade 1 and it should have teed up Allaho nicely for a tilt back at Prestbury Park for the Ryanair. The opposition looks thin on the ground and, simply put, this is Allaho’s race to lose.

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Thyme Hill (3.30 Cheltenham, Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle) 4/1

The best bet on the Thursday card appears to come courtesy of THYME HILL, who takes his chance in the Day 3 feature Stayers’ Hurdle.

Philip Hobbs’ charge has excellent Festival form to his name which includes a third in the 2019 Champion Bumper and fourth in the 2020 Albert Bartlett when looking unfortunate not to win.

The only time that this 8yo has finished out of the first four in 12 career starts came when bombing out in France on reappearance back in November, but the bottomless ground wouldn’t have suited that day and it was promising to see Thyme Hill bounce back to form in the Long Walk at Ascot last time when chasing home Champ.

He can reverse form with that rival returned to Cheltenham and it’s worth noting that he took Grade 1 honours at Aintree last spring on the back of a second in the Long Walk, so this prep has been used to success previously.

Thyme Hill simply looks a far less complicated horse than the likes of Flooring Porter and Klassical Dream, whilst if those rivals do – as expected – go hard on the front end it should set things up for the strong staying power of Thyme Hill.

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Celebre D’Allen (4.10 Cheltenham, Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase) 5/1

Thyme Hill is not the only horse likely to provide Philip Hobbs with Festival success on Thursday, however, as half an hour later CELEBRE D’ALLEN lines up for the same trainer/jockey combination in the Plate Handicap Chase.

Celebre D’Allen has won all three starts since returning to Britain from a spell in France, building on heavy ground hurdles successes at Haydock when landing a competitive handicap chase at Warwick last month.

That recent success dispelled any concerns about Celebre D’Allen jumping the larger obstacles and on his ability to act on better ground, whilst it was eye-catching the way that he picked up to score under an astute ride on a track where it often pays to race prominently.

The 6lb rise received for that looks manageable and the owner has previous for lining one up to land this prize, so the race appears to have been the long-term aim for Celebre D’Allen.

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Impervious (4.50 Cheltenham, Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle) 8/1

A tricky race with most open to improvement and it’s not a huge surprise to see Willie Mullins runners dominate in a race he took for each of the first six renewals before Henry De Bromhead bucked the trend with Telmesomethinggirl 12 months ago.

At the prices, a chance can be taken on IMPERVIOUS, who won her first three starts for Colm Murphy at the start of the season, culminating in a Grade 3 Down Royal success in a race that traditionally works out quite well.

Impervious was held upped in class against the boys in the Grade 1 Royal Bond subsequently but she ran far better than the finishing position suggests that day and connections have decided to freshen her up with a spring campaign in mind since, something which looks like a shrewd move considering her proficiency on decent ground conditions.

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Come On Teddy (5.30 Cheltenham, Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase) 12/1

Festival form counts for plenty here at Cheltenham, and COME ON TEDDY bring just that into this courtesy of a third in the ultra-competitive Pertemps 12 months ago.

Since switched to fences Come On Teddy has won and finished second on either start of a fifth in Grade 2 company here. That form has worked out well since and there appears a chance that the handicapper has let Come On Teddy in lightly here off a mark of 137, which is just 3lb above that Pertemps mark.

Connections enlist the services of a crack amateur rider here in Will Biddick which appears notable and the recent rain to have hit Prestbury Park will do Come On Teddy’s chances no harm.