Cheltenham Festival Day Three Betting
Cheltenham 12th March – St Patrick’s Day Races
Day three of the Cheltenham Festival is renowned for its celebrations of all things Irish for St Patrick’s Day. There are three Grade 1 races on Thursday, with some of the most renowned stayers on the National Hunt scene in action. The Ryanair Chase and Stayers’ Hurdle will be the talking points on the penultimate day of action.
Visit the main Betting On Cheltenham page for information and betting offers across the whole Cheltenham event. For a deeper look at the favourites and best betting offers on Day 3, see the preview guide below.
13:30: Marsh Novices’ Chase
St Patrick’s Day at the festival kicks off with Grade 1 action in the form of the March Novices’ Chase. The race is run over two miles and four furlongs and is open to horses aged five and over. The first instalment of this race came in 2011, with Noble Prince winning for Paul Nolan. Other horses to have won this race include Vautour, Yorkhill and Defi du Seuil.
Betting for the 2020 instalment is reasonably open at present with money in the market for Allaho, Itchy Feet and Fakir D’oudairies. Faugheen and Samcro are also popular options among punters. Mister Fisher could be a popular each-way bet after he has won his last two at Doncaster and Cheltenham respectively.
bet365’s best mobile betting odds for the Marsh Novices’ Chase
14:10: Pertemps Network Final
Listed action comes up after the Marsh Novices’ Chase, with the Pertemps Network final being competed over three miles. The race is open to horses aged five and over and is a handicap race ran over 12 hurdles. Since 2018, it has been a Grade 3 race, and last year’s winner was Sire Du Berlais for Gordon Elliott.
Sire Du Berlais is among the favourites for the running in 2020, as he is currently second favourite. Phoenix Way is the favourite in the betting, while there will also be money for The Storyteller and Relegate. The latter of those will be a popular pick having won at the Cheltenham Festival in 2018.
14:50: Ryanair Chase
The Ryanair Chase is one of the most loved races on day 3 of the festival and is run over two miles and four furlongs. Seventeen fences must be navigated, and it is only open to horses aged five and over. Last year’s instalment proved historic as Bryony Frost became the first woman to ride a Grade 1 winner at the Cheltenham Festival on-board Frodon.
Frodon will again be a popular pick among punters, but the favourite looks to be A Plus Tard. Min could be an astute choice, while Chacun Pour Soi and Delta Work round off the favourites in the field. The smart money could be on Min, who has enjoyed a renaissance this season.
15:30: Stayers’ Hurdle
The Grade 1 action continues with the featured race of day three at the festival with the Stayers’ Hurdle The race is run over three miles and includes 12 hurdles. Horses aged four and over are allowed to be involved. Last year’s winner was the popular pick, Paisley Park. Previous winners of this Grade 1 race include Buck Buck’s, Thistlecrack and Penhill.
Paisley Park will be the heavy favourite to make it two wins in a row in this event, as he has continued his excellent form throughout this season. His last appearance came at Cheltenham, where he won by one and a quarter lengths from Summerville Boy. There will also be money in the market for Benie Des Dieux and Emitom, but Paisley Park will be the banker of the day.
Get bet365’s best mobile betting odds for the Stayers’ Hurdle
16:10: Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase
Grade 3 action takes centre stage after the Stayers’ Hurdle with the Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase. The race is open to horses aged five and older and run over two miles and four furlongs. There are also 17 fences involved in the race, which is one of the most entertaining handicaps of the festival. Past winners include Road To Respect, Super Coin and Siruh Du Lac.
There is a wide open field for the 2020 instalment, with plenty of value for punters. Simple The Betts will be the favourite, but there will also be solid money for Ben Dundee, Spiritofthegames and La Bague Au Roi. However, the preference for this race would be for Cepage. The eight-year-old was successful on his last outing at Cheltenham and has already run on the same course four times in the past year.
16:50: Mares Novices’ Hurdle
This Grade 2 race has only been run on four previous occasions and only been won by Willie Mullins. The race is open to horses aged at least four and is ran over two miles and one furlong. There are also eight hurdles jumped in this race. Limini won the first instalment in 2016, while Eglantine Du Seuil won the most recent race.
The heavy favourite for this race is Minella Melody, who has won all three of her starts this season. There is also money for Lamarckise, Colreevy and Floressa. But, it is incredibly hard to look past the favourite for this race.
17:30: Kim Muir Handicap Chase
Ungraded action brings the curtain down on the penultimate day of racing at the festival, as amateur jockeys race over 21 fences and three miles and two furlongs. Past winners of this race include Cause of Causes, Any Second Now and The Bushkeeper.
Kim Muir is typically an unpredictable race, but the current favourite is Ravenhill. No Comment, At The Acorn and Le Breuil, are also popular options for bettors. There could be each-way value in the market in the form of Singlefarmpayment.
Cheltenham Festival Betting Day Previews
Take a look at betting previews for each of the other racing festival days:
