The Cheltenham Festival began on 14 March, and on Thursday all eyes will be on the Stayers’ Hurdle, the feature race of day three.
It is a three-mile test of stamina over the New Course that will expose any chinks in the armour of contenders that lack the staying power to get up the famous hill finish.
It is not the only race to look out for on another day of top-class National Hunt action. Here's your full guide to all seven of the races on day three.
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What TV channel are the races on?
ITV will have live coverage fronted by Ed Chamberlin.
Cheltenham Festival 2023 day three tips
1.30pm: Turners Novices' Chase
Telegraph Sport
The day gets under way with a trip of two and a half miles. This race, first run in 2011, has been a good one for Mullins, with the famous trainer having four winners. Mighty Potter is the favourite. The Gordon Elliott-trained horse pulled up in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last year but has won all four of his engagements this season.
Marlborough
Last month’s Irish Arkle has so far stood up well to early scrutiny, with the winner that day El Fabiolo following up in tremendous style in Tuesday’s Arkle. Appreciate It was sent off favourite that day but could not live up to market expectations. However, he now makes the step up in trip and can take a sizeable chunk of improvement for this extra distance at the course where he blew away his opposition in taking the 2021 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Ed Chamberlin
Appreciate It
Armytage
Mighty Potter
2.10pm Pertemps Final
Telegraph Sport
This three-mile trip is the culmination of a series of qualifying races hosted throughout the season and is open to horses five years and above. Third Wind won last year edging out joint-favourite Alaphilippe up the famous hill. Maxxum, Thanksforthehelp and Walking On Air are among the main contenders.
Marlborough
Another furiously competitive renewal of the Pertemps Final. Good Time Jonny qualified for this race with a staying-on 3rd placing in a qualifier at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, in an effort that suggested he had more to offer off this sort of mark. He was last seen over an inadequate 2 miles at the Dublin Racing Festival, but it would be little surprise to see him produce a career-best back at 3 miles for his ultra-shrewd handler Tony Martin, whose stable have looked in good form of late. In a wide open renewal, Good Time Jonny is fancied to reward each-way support at the least.
Ed Chamberlin
Good Time Jonny
Armytage
Salvador Ziggy
2.50pm Ryanair Chase
Telegraph Sport
One of the highlights of the festival - this is a Grade 1 run over 2.5 miles and usually showcases horses who have one eye on a possible Gold Cup tilt down the line. Frodon and Cue Card are among the former big-name winners and this year sees yet more fancied runners. Shishkin will surely start as favourite for Nicky Henderson.
Marlborough
Many a punter and racing fan will have Shishkin as one of the bankers of the week and unsurprisingly so, having relished the step up to 2m5f when romping away with the Ascot Chase last month, running something very close to a career-best in the process. In a running of the Ryanair lacking considerable depth, Shishkin can confirm himself as one of the brightest chasing stars in the UK and prove the one they all have to beat.
Ed Chamberlin
Shishkin
Marcus Armytage
Shishkin
Telegraph Sport
Favouritism for this race has been hard to hold all season. Home By The Lee had it at one point for Joseph O’Brien following his Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle win at Leopardstown and perhaps he has been forgotten since. Galmoy Hurdle winner Teahupoo and Boyne Hurdle scorer Blazing Khal – now heading the betting at 3/1 – have succeeded him in turn for Gordon Elliott and Charles Byrnes respectively. Nicky Henderson may be tempted to send last year's Mares’ Hurdle winner Maries Rock in against the boys in this race and with a seven pound allowance, will merit serious respect.
Marlborough
A fascinating running of the Stayers’ Hurdle, and as strong a renewal as we have seen in recent years. Blazing Khal may have had a delayed return to racing this campaign, but he looked better than ever when running out a dominant winner of the Boyne Hurdle at Navan last month and he looks set to give Charles Byrnes a 2nd winner in this race, 10 years on from the heroics of Solwhit. Blazing Khal is proven at the track, can show his best upped to 3 miles once again and looks the one they all have to beat.
Armytage
Gold Tweet
4.10pm Plate Handicap Chase
Telegraph Sport
This is run on the New Course with 17 jumps to negotiate. Three of the past five winners have been the favourite, but last year Coole Cody, at 22/1, shocked Prestbury Park. The ante-post market was pretty open, but there has been money for So Scottish.
Marlborough
Fugitif has looked better than ever this campaign, proving ultra-consistent in the process in not finishing out of the first two in his 3 starts so far this season. He was an excellent 2nd to the re-opposing Il Ridoto on “Trials Day” over today’s course and distance back in January and is readily fancied to reverse the placings here, such is the rampant progress he is making with further experience. The booking of Sean Bowen looks a positive and Fugitif is fancied to go very close here.
Ed Chamberlin
Midnight River
Armytage
Seddon
4.50pm Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
Telegraph Sport
The Mares’ Novices is a Grade 2 hurdle open to fillies and mares aged four years and older. There are eight hurdles to get over on the New Course, with Luccia strongly earmarked for victory. Other contenders could be Ashroe Diamond and Magical Zoe.
Marlborough
As the winner of each of her 4 starts in impressive fashion, Luccia looks a deserved favourite in this and can take plenty of beating. However, a chance is taken on the Willie Mullins-trained Lot of Joy, a very useful flat horse in her own right who has done little wrong in 3 starts over hurdles to date, most recently when winning a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse in a most easy manner. This is harder altogether but, in a race in which Willie Mullins has historically been mob-handed, it is perhaps noteworthy that he sends just two forward, with Lot Of Joy looking his clear strongest chance; she can give Luccia plenty to think about here.
Ed Chamberlin
You Wear It Well
Armytage
Luccia
5.30pm Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Telegraph Sport
This race, better known as the Kim Muir, is an opportunity for amateur jockeys to bask in some Cheltenham glory. Chambard won last year’s race at a tasty 40/1. Early entries for this year's renewal show that the likes of Mr Incredible and Stumptown will be the likely ones to watch.
Marlborough
Beauport missed Tuesday’s Ultima Handicap Chase in favour of a tilt in the Kim Muir, and he looks set to relish this test of stamina as he tackles 3m2f for the first time. It is perhaps noteworthy that he has been kept between 2m4f-2m5f in 3 starts so far this season, for he remains a most unexposed horse at 3 miles and beyond. It is noteworthy that Beauport will race off his lowest mark in 12 months, having not done very much wrong since his hurdles win at Uttoxeter a year ago, and he rates a leading contender here, with soft ground sure to prove more of a help than a hindrance.
Ed Chamberlin
Beauport
Armytage
Dunboyne
Marlborough's best bet
Whilst it looks a notably warm heat, and far away the race of the day, there remains a lingering suspicion that BLAZING KHAL might just prove himself a star of the staying hurdle division today in what is far and away his biggest test to date. His interrupted campaign has been well documented coming into this, but the regard in which he is evidently held by his shrewd handler Charles Byrnes is more than noteworthy and, in a race brimming with quality, Blazing Khal looks set to prove himself the cream that rises to the top.
Ed Chamberlin's best bet
Beauport in the Kim Muir, the last race of the day, is well handicapped, has been targeted at this race, and can deliver a strong challenge for local training legend Nigel Twiston-Davies. The danger is Mr Incredible, the top weight, an absolute rascal who can be brilliant on his day.
Expect Willie Mullins to edge closer to that magic century
By Ed Chamberlin
From Ruby’s brilliance on Yorkhill and Un De Sceaux in 2017 to the bonkers winners’ enclosure celebration after Flooring Porter’s second Stayers’ Hurdle last year, St Patrick’s Day Thursday has been very kind to us on ITV. The ‘Golden Hour’ of 2019 is the best memory of the lot with Bryony Frost and Frodon bringing the house down, immediately followed by Paisley Park’s heroics. What will Cheltenham’s script have in store?
While I do feel that there are perhaps too many Novice Chase options at the Festival, the Turners (1.30) looks a decent renewal.
Mighty Potter is many people’s banker of the week, but he’s a horribly short price and I’m going to take him on with Appreciate It. This Willie Mullins nine-year-old will have relished Wednesday’s rain. He came third in the Irish Arkle, one of the races of the season, and that form has already worked out seriously well when you look at the performance of the Leopardstown winner El Fabiolo, who romped home in the Arkle here on Tuesday. I think that Appreciate It will enjoy the step up in trip and I think he can win, and take Willie Mullins closer to that magic century of Cheltenham Festival winners. He starts on 92.
In the Pertemps (2.10) I am going for Good Time Jonny because I absolutely love a Tony Martin horse that’s been lined up for one of these Cheltenham handicaps. One of my happiest Cheltenham memories is watching Tony’s Xenophon win the Coral Cup here back in 2003. I was with Jeff Stelling that day and I’m happy to report that we landed quite a touch. Tony remains one of the best target trainers in the game.
Shiskin might have bombed in the Champion Chase last year and there’s no doubt that he has had his struggles with various ailments but there is nobody better around than Nicky Henderson and his team at getting a horse right again after setbacks. He looked as good as ever when he won the Betfair Chase at Ascot last month and, while he might not be a betting proposition, I will be roaring him on in the Ryanair (2.50).
The Stayers’ Hurdle (3.30) looks a very tricky race indeed. It really is wide open. Blazing Khal is the horse to beat but my heart hopes that Paisley Park runs another big race. He’s done it all here, but that was a while ago now and Paisley is practically old enough to take up smoking. Still, fairytales can and do happen here, as we have seen.
Midnight River is my fancy in the Magners Plate (4.10). He has the all-important course and distance form, Dan and Harry Skelton are confident about him and think he will do himself justice. On Wednesday, the brothers had their fifth Cheltenham Festival winner and I hope they get their first one over fences.
The penultimate race of the day will be the Jack de Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (4.50) and I think it’s fair to say that many, many people will be cheering on the de Bromhead runners. My tip is You Wear It Well, who is owned by Sir Chips Keswick, the former Arsenal chairman. This Jamie Snowden mare strikes me as underrated.
What time is the Stayers' Hurdle?
The feature race of the day gets under starter's orders at 15.30.
Why is the Stayers’ Hurdle important?
One of the four feature races at the Cheltenham Festival, the Stayers’ Hurdle is an outstanding test of stamina and will expose all but the strongest of finishers.
What happened in the Stayers’ Hurdle last year?
Just as he had done the year before, Danny Mullins made the running on Flooring Porter, who gave a superb tactical display to burn off his rivals off in the home straight as the Gavin Cromwell-trained star retained his crown to the delight of his large owning group. ‘Canny Danny’, as he was labelled, earned most of the plaudits for getting the fractions just right in front.
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