Allaho is a red-hot favourite of the Ryanair Chase but Alex suggests an each-way play against the market leader; the Stayers' Hurdle looks wide-open with the likes of Champ, Flooring Porter and Klassical Dream in contention; read the Sky Sports Festival blog all next week
Wednesday 16 March 2022 18:58, UK
Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond offers her analysis and selections for day three of the Cheltenham Festival, including an ultra-competitive renewal of the Stayers' Hurdle.
The Turners Novices' Chase is the last of three Grade One novice chases at The Festival, run over the intermediate trip of just under two miles and four furlongs.
This looks an outstanding clash of two outstanding novices. Having said that, I have a banker in this. Can the week really go this smoothly for the Irish raiders again?
Well, I think Galopin Des Champs will take some stopping here. He looks outstanding and, despite coming up against a horse of Bob Olinger's calibre, I think he'll win.
He certainly jumps more professionally, and he has the added bonus of being a bit more streetwise having won a 22-runner Martin Pipe last season. Both represent Ireland of course and this should be a real humdinger.
The Ryanair Chase on the other hand looks a bit one sided. Allaho is odds on to repeat his win in this last year and understandably so. So maybe we should look for something that offers each way value.
How unlucky did Shan Blue look when taking a crashing fall when looking in command at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall Chase?
He could give the Brits something to cheer if Dan Skelton's policy of keeping his horses fresh for The Festival pays off. He has plenty of stamina and the New Course should suit him well in that regard.
He is generally a superb jumper, so let's hope we see him back to his best here and he could be one to finish in the first three.
If a Tiger Roll win is going to take the roof off the grandstand, can you imagine if Paisley Park becomes the fourth multiple winner of the Stayers' Hurdle?
The saying that there's no point getting older if you don't get wiser could be one that Paisley has embraced wholeheartedly though.
He has developed a habit of being a touch 'cute', and whilst he probably embraces both meanings of the word, in this case meaning clever/shrewd is how it's intended to be interpreted.
How he got back up to win the Cleeve Hurdle having given away fifteen lengths at the start is anyone's guess but get up he did and majestic it was.
Champ is another enigma in a different way.
Just when it looked like he was going to become the champ he was destined to be, he looked laboured in defeat behind Paisley last time out.
Last year's winner Flooring Porter will surely be floored by an exuberant Cheltenham crowd. A dynamic that he didn't have to deal with twelve months ago and one that might just tip him over the edge.
Thyme Hill has never really excited me, and I don't know why. He is probably the most solid and reliable proposition in the race and at the time, his second to Champ, one place in front of Paisley in the Long Walk at Ascot looked good.
2019 Supreme winner Klassical Dream was given a 'cute' ride by Paul Townend to win the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown but was an odds-on defeat at Gowran last time out. He's got the class if he's on song.
This race is one of the tougher puzzles to solve this week, but if you can the rewards may be greater.
The Paddy Power Plate looks to be the destination of a horse I've really enjoyed watching this season.
The Glancing Queen wasn't disgraced in finishing second to L'Homme Presse in the Dipper on her most recent start and she's a smart mare for the Alan King team. She's also in the Mares' Chase on Friday but I gather this is her preferred target.
The Parnell Properties Mares' Novices' Hurdle has been a Willie Mullins' benefit to date, having won all bar one running of this race. It was Henry De Bromhead that spoiled the party last year.
There is a big entry numerically and the Closutton raiders dominate the betting again.
Dino Blue is an exciting prospect but with just one run under her belt, this may be tough with a likely big field. Grangee has experience of the festival having finished 6th in last year's Champion Bumper, so she's my pick to finish in the places.
