Cheltenham Day 3 predictions: Betting for St Patrick’s Thursday

AS the name may suggest, the third day of the Cheltenham Festival is all about our friends from the Emerald Isle, as the Irish raiders take centre stage on St Patrick’s Thursday.

There is sure to be plenty of Guinness flowing on the concourse and on the racing front, the day is unique in that it is the only of the four to feature two ‘Championship’ races on the card – with the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase sharing centre stage.

The big favourite of the day is Teahupoo, who’s bidding to win the Stayers’ for the second year running, though it’s worth remembering that he was a beaten favourite in this race two years ago!

Looking for Cheltenham tips on today’s racing action? We’ve put together a comprehensive Cheltenham day 3 preview for you below.

Best bets for Cheltenham day 3

• Il Est Francais to win the Ryanair Chase – 3/1 with Betway
• Langer Dan each-way in the Stayers’ Hurdle – 16/1 with bet365
• Maughreen in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle – 43/10 with SBK
• Caldwell Potter each-way in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase – 12/1 with Coral
• Jagwar in the Trustatrader Plate Handicap Chase – 4/1 with BetMGM

Cheltenham day 3 race schedule

The third day of the Cheltenham Festival is completely unique, as it is the only one during the week that features two ‘Championship’ races on the line-up, in the form of the Ryanair Chase and the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. You can find the full details for Thursday’s card in the table below.

Time	Race	Distance	Grade
13:20	Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle	2m1f	Grade 2
14:00	Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase	2m4½f	Grade 2
14:40	Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle	3m	Premier Handicap
15:20	Ryanair Chase	2m4½f	Grade 1
16:00	Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle	3m	Grade 1
16:40	TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase	2m4½f	Premier Handicap
17:20	Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup	3m2f	Handicap

Cheltenham Festival day 3 predictions: The runners and riders

As mentioned above, the third day of the Cheltenham Festival is the only day to feature two ‘Championship’ races and it’s also the most competitive day of racing to boot, with several puzzles for punters to solve. 

Like many races this week, the Ryanair Chase features an Irish-trained favourite in the form of Fact To File, who is a 6/4 favourite at the time of writing. The omens are certainly strong if you listen to the facts (pardon the pun), seeing as Willie Mullins has won the race a record five times since it was established in 2005 and Irish raiders have won seven of the last nine renewals!

In the Stayers’ Hurdle, Teahupoo is bidding to become the fifth multiple winner of the race this century, though several high-class types are lining up in opposition. Each of Home By The Lee, Langer Dan, Gowel Road and Bob Olinger will fancy their chances, though it’s worth noting that there have only been seven winners aged nine or older since 1972!

Meanwhile, the opening Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle is due for its tenth running this year and history has smiled on Ireland so far, with the trophy heading across the Irish Sea in seven of the first nine years. 

Sixandahalf is the favourite at the time of writing for the Gavin Cromwell team, though it’s worth noting that market leaders have a poor record of late, with each of the last six favourites being beaten. 
Looking for some tips? You can find all of our Cheltenham day three predictions with in-depth reasoning below. 

Looking for some Cheltenham tips? We have put together an in-depth Cheltenham Festival day 3 betting preview for you below, along with Cheltenham betting offers and free bets from our favourite horse racing betting sites.

#1 – Il Est Francais in the Ryanair Steeple Chase at 3/1

This looks a fascinating renewal of the Ryanair Chase, in which a strong case can be made for several. The obvious starting point is Fact To File, who heads the market at the time of writing for the Willie Mullins team. 

The eight-year-old is lightly-raced over fences, but he has achieved a lot in his seven outings to date, winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase here 12 months ago and taking the scalp of two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs at Punchestown in November. 

He has been beaten twice since by that rival, though he lost little in defeat on those occasions, with his stamina seeming stretched over an extended three miles. He’s rock solid on the form figures and will be popular with many at what feels like his optimum trip. 

Another to consider is last year’s winner Protektorat. The 10-year-old is perhaps still best thought of as a Gold Cup contender, though his stamina was always just a touch stretched by that trip and he made the most of soft ground when bounding clear in this 12 months ago. It remains to be seen whether he will get those conditions again, but he ought to be right in the picture regardless. 

The best option could prove to be the French raider IL EST FRANCAIS. The seven-year-old very nearly pulled off a sensational pillar-to-post victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and there was certainly no fluke about that, seeing as he pulled off a front-running victory at the same track in a Grade 1 novice the year before.

It’s worth noting that each of the last 11 winners of this race were sat prominent at the very least and it would be no surprise should Il Est Francais attempt to make all. With his stamina assured, the undulations should hold no fears and with strong speed figures in his locker, he looks the play at 3/1 with Betfred to take this. 

Bet on Il Est Francais to win the Ryanair Chase at 3/1 with Betway

#2 – Langer Dan each-way in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at 14/1

A race which revolves around Teahupoo, who is bidding to win this for the second year running. The eight-year-old has plenty of history in the Stayers’ having been a beaten favourite two years ago, though he made up for that when powering up the hill 12 months later. 

Gordon Elliott seemed to deduce that a quieter campaign was the trick to his charge and after having just one start before his victory last year he has tried similar this time around, finishing second behind Lossiemouth on his sole start at Fairyhouse in December.  

Teahupoo lost little in defeat that day, in a race which turned into a real speed test, and he rates as the one to beat on the form figures. However, he’s an 11/10 favourite at the time of writing and it looks taking him on at the prices each-way. 

Home By The Lee has been beaten on three separate occasions in this race, though he has improved his placing on each run and is respected on the back of arguably his best campaign to date, while the improving Lucky Place can’t be ruled out after winning the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle here in January. 

The competition for placings is fierce, but it could be worth having a very small each-way play on LANGER DAN. The nine-year-old is far from the type that you can set your watch by and has become something of a legend for his ability to come good in the spring on the back of disappointing campaigns over the winter. 

This term has been no different and he arrives here having been too bad to be true in three starts this season. However, he is a dual winner of the Coral Cup and has shown an ability in Grade 1 company in the past, finishing an excellent third in the Aintree Hurdle last April. Supporting him requires a leap of faith, but he is certainly capable of pulling a rabbit out of the hat and trading at 16/1 with bet365, he could be capable of hitting the frame.

Bet on Langer Dan each-way in the Stayers’ Hurdle at 16/1 with bet365

#3 – Maughreen in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at 43/10

An open-looking renewal of the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, which could go the way of MAUGHREEN. The six-year-old has only seen the track twice so far, but she has caught the eye when doing so, winning by five lengths on hurdling debut at Punchestown in January. 

It’s impossible to know just how good that form was, but she showed plenty of gears to reassert when allowing the field to come back to her that day and it’s certainly worth noting that both the third and the fourth from that race have won subsequently. 

This is a huge step up in class, as well as a drop in trip, though the distance ought to hold no fears for this half-sister to Faugheen, who could have a good deal of improvement to come yet. Willie Mullins has won five of the nine renewals of this race so far and it would be no surprise should Maughreen prove another smart one at around 43/10 with SBK. 

There are plenty that deserve consideration in opposition, including Sixandahalf, who has plenty of experience on the Flat and won a maiden in some style at Fairyhouse in January. Galileo Dame is another smart performer from the level who deserves respect, while both Aurora Vega and Jubilee Alpha can’t be discounted either in a wide-open affair.

Bet on Maughreen in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at 43/10 with SBK

#4 – Caldwell Potter each-way in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase at 12/1

The first year of the revamped Golden Miller, which now operates as a Grade 2 limited handicap. It’s possible to make a case for plenty of these, but a good starting point is with the favourite Nurburgring, who finished fourth in last year’s Triumph Hurdle.

He’s since won the highly-competitive Galway Hurdle and while he was disappointing at Leopardstown over Christmas, there’s every chance he could be lurking on a competitive mark – a comment which also applies to the Ben Pauling-trained Pic Roc.

Firefox drops into handicap company after a string of good runs in graded company and is respected, while Asian Master was fourth in last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and has held his own against some classy sorts in two starts to date over the larger obstacles.

However, at the prices it could be worth siding with CALDWELL POTTER each-way, who is around 14/1 with Coral at the time of writing. A Grade 1 winner over hurdles last season, the seven-year-old promised plenty this term, particularly as he changed hands for more than £600,000 before the start of this campaign. 

With that in mind, he perhaps hasn’t quite lived up to expectations so far, but he has still shown some very useful form, finishing second in a Grade 2 contest at Windsor in January. He has his stamina to prove having faded over course and distance in December, though it looks worth forgiving him for that effort. His handicap mark looks fair and he appeals as the type who could be suited by this kind of assignment. 

Bet on Caldwell Potter each-way in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase at 12/1 with Coral

#5 – Jagwar in the Trustatrader Plate Handicap Chase at 4/1

Like with all of the supporting races on Thursday’s card, this is a wide-open looking equation for punters to solve, with each of the 20 runners making some appeal on paper. 

JAGWAR is one of the more inexperienced runners in this field, but he has made a good start to life over the larger obstacles, winning three of his four starts to date, including the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase over course and distance in January. That race has a good record for producing subsequent winners in March and it feels significant that his trainers have opted to head here rather than the Golden Miller.

Raised 7lbs for that success, there’s a feeling there could be more to come yet from the six-year-old and he looks worth siding with at 4-1 with BetMGM to take this. Several deserve consideration in opposition, including two previous winners of the race in Seddon (2023) and Shakem Up’arry (2024). 

Springwell Bay relished the step into handicap company when winning a competitive-looking event by nine lengths over course and distance on New Year’s Day and could have more to offer raised 9lbs, while Fugitif has plenty of strong course form, making this something of a nightmare to decode!

Bet on Jagwar in the Trustatrader Plate Handicap Chase at 4/1 with BetMGM

Some famous day 3 moments down the years

The Stayers’ Hurdle looks likely to have a short-priced favourite in the form of last year’s winner Teahupoo, though market leaders don’t have a particularly good record in the race. 

Indeed, only three of the last 10 winners have been favourites and there have been some big-priced victors in that time, none more so than when Lisnagar Oscar pulled off a 50-1 shock in the 2020 renewal. 

It’s worth noting that Teahupoo was a beaten favourite for this in 2023, too, being beaten into third by stablemate and 33-1 outsider Sire Du Berlais (with fellow 40-1 outsider Dashel Drasher second). 

The third day of the Cheltenham Festival is the only one of the week with two championship races on the card and like the Stayers’ Hurdle, the Ryanair Chase has thrown up some interesting winners since being introduced in 2005. 

Protektorat belied his profile as a Gold Cup contender by winning this 12 months ago and he’s bidding to become just the third multiple winner of the race, after Albertas Run (2010 and 2011) and Allaho (2021 and 2022). 

Horse Racing is a fairly data-heavy sport, meaning it can be slightly daunting for newcomers to follow it. With that in mind, we’ve put together a quick guide to betting on day three at Cheltenham for you below.

How to bet on day 3 at Cheltenham

Horse Racing is a fairly data-heavy sport, meaning it can be slightly daunting for newcomers to follow it. With that in mind, we’ve put together a quick guide to betting on day three at Cheltenham for you below.

• Log into your betting account. If you need to create a new one, there are lots of suggestions in our list below.
• Deposit money into your account and head to the ‘horse racing’ section. Find the racing taking place at Cheltenham on Thursday 13^th March 2025.
• Pick out a horse to bet on. You can either read the Cheltenham festival day 3 predictions in this article, or study the form on your betting site. 
• Add the horse to your betting slip by clicking on the odds next to their name. Input your stake and when you’re happy with everything click on ‘place bets’. 

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Cheltenham Festival free bets for day 3

How to follow the Cheltenham Festival action on day 3

Cheltenham is one of the most popular sporting events of the year, meaning it’s fairly easy to keep up with the action. The majority of the races are being screened for free on terrestrial television by ITV1, who are showing the first six races on day three, while Racing TV is the place to watch all 28 contests during the week. If you are out and about, you can follow the action on talkSPORT radio, while betting apps will be live streaming the action. You can also watch each and every race in betting shops up and down the country.