Cheltenham Day 3 - Thursday 14th March 2024

JP Liz V1

How many winners will Mullins have?

E/W

Chantry House

Capodanno

Sir Gerhard

Arctic Bresil

howareyakid

1:30: Iroko 13/2 

2:10: Emitom 33/1 e/w 

2:50: Banbridge 4/1 (if ground of good side) or Hitman 33/1 e/w

3:30: Dashel Drasher 28/1 e/w

4:10: Theatre Man 7/2

4:50: Jade de Grugy 9/4

5:30: Whacker Clan 9/1

Tricky opening two days — backing against some short-priced WPM favourites hasn’t paid off! It will be interesting to see how the ground comes up tomorrow on the New Course. Seems like there’s some more rain promised from forecasts.

Thursday is often a tricky day at the best of times, I find, so I’m looking to have a stab at a few bigger-priced horses today. EMITOM is a big case in point in the Pertemps. At his peak he was placing in a Stayers’ Hurdle on soft ground back in 2020, and he has come somewhat back to form on his current mark. You’re searching for something from peak form, but at the prices happy enough to hope there may be a chance of a big race in what’s usually ultra competitive. 

IROKO is one of the main bets of the day. If he’s fully recovered from his setback and if only having one run over fences is enough to prepared him for this, I feel he may be the horse with the most potential to improve in the race.

DASHEL DRASHER was a close second in the Stayers’ last year at 40/1 in a race I feel is nigh-on impossible to predict year to year! At 11 his form hasn’t fallen off a cliff and he has a consistent enough record around Cheltenham so hoping he might be able to hit the frame.

Ryanair is ground dependent but looks is a really open renewal.

JADE DE GRUGY and Brighterdaysahead are very close on ratings, so at the prices, I feel the former is the best bet. Tony Keenan made a great point on ATR, I felt, that the fact Willie is only sending one here May be a tip in terms of how highly the rate this mare in Closutton. 

WHACKER CLAN’s C&D handicap win over Twig got a boost with his run in the Ultima earlier on in the week, so I thought this stood out for a horse from the in-form De Bromhead stable.

howareyakid

Shakem Up’arry was third in the race last year and had won over C&D in the January meeting — it’s always obvious in hindsight!!

howareyakid

Some race that was! Thought Jade De Grugy was very unlucky. She seemed to get hampered badly but really came back into the race strongly. Looked the best horse in the race to me.

Bobson Dugnutt

Derek O’Connor is some jockey.

howareyakid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121893599#Comment_121893599

Its On The Line will be a warm order tomorrow in the Foxhunters!

JP Liz V1

If only Fergie's horses could line out for MU 😁