Cheltenham Day 3 Preview

We are halfway through the 2021 Festival and today sees the Staying Hurdlers take centre stage. The likeable Paisley Park disappointed in this race twelve months ago when sent off 4/6 favourite to win back-to-back renewals.

Lisnagar Oscar sprang a 50/1 shock in this race last year but as he hasn’t won a race since it will be a tall order for the gelded son of Oscar to repeat the dose.

Paisley Park, also by Oscar, has produced two solid efforts this season and a repeat of his victory over Thyne Hill at Christmas should suffice in his bid to regain his crown. At current odds of 15/8 with Coral he won’t make anyone rich but he is the most likely winner.

Dual Pertemps Final winner Sire Du Berlais 9/2 looks the most likely to chase the favourite home with his proven record over the course and distance.

Sire Du Berlais’ stablemate The Storyteller is one of the most honest horses in training and it would be no surprise to see him involved in the finish at double-figure odds with regular pilot Keith Donoghue aboard. Donoghue has already partnered The Storyteller to six victories.

The day starts off with the Irish banker of the meeting, Envoi Allen 4/6 Coral, in the March Chase. The unbeaten seven-year-old is going for a remarkable third Cheltenham Festival victory in a row having won the Champion Bumper in 2019 and the Ballymore Hurdle last year. He looks exceptional and it will be a major shock if he doesn’t extend his winning sequence here.

Allaho, in the same ownership as Envoi Allen, could be the way to go in the Ryanair Chase at 2.30pm. Allaho is highly regarded by Willie Mullins and the feeling is that he doesn’t quite see out three miles. This slightly shorter distance should play to his strengths and he looks a solid each-way bet at 9/2 with Coral to give Rachael Blackmore another notable success at the meeting.

Willie Mullins who trains Allaho has a couple of other serious contenders in the shape of Melon and Min (6/1) which is the mount of Stable Jockey Paul Townend. Melon has finished runner-up at each of the last four Cheltenham Festivals and is sure to run another solid race and would also look a decent each-way selection at 7/1 with Coral.

The rest of today’s card look tricky with some very competitive handicaps but the Mares Novice Hurdle is an interesting contest. Willie Mullins is the go-to man here having won all five previous renewals of this race since it was introduced to the Festival in 2016. He has a few contenders again this time around, but they may all struggle to match Roseys Hollow. This mare represents the small yard of Johnathan Sweeney but is owned by the legendary JP McManus. She beat several of today’s opposition fair and square at Fairyhouse last month and will go very close.

Sweeney does particularly well with the mares he trains at his Co.Cork base and Roseys Hollow, the mount of Mark Walsh looks a reasonable bet at odds of 5/1 with Coral.

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