Cheltenham Festival 2025: Tanya Stevenson's Selections For Day 3
Tanya Stevenson joins us once again to preview the very best racing action this week as all eyes turn to the Cheltenham Festival.
She has studied the form for Thursday's card at Prestbury Park, and has made three selections which can be backed with horse racing betting sites.
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Tanya Stevenson's Selections For Day 3 At Cheltenham
For me, this is the best week of the year because Thursday sees the best golfers tee off at TPC Sawgrass for the The Players Championship.
It's a tournament that has had me captivated for over 30 years. Its not just the par-3 17th, it’s the final three holes which are daunting to any top player let alone one of a nervous disposition should they hit the front too early.
The water beckons, so I hope the caddies have plenty of spare balls. It’s fabulous and Cheltenham compliments it nicely for the first two rounds.
As for the drama at Prestbury Park? Well, that has been a different matter. I had a wretched Tuesday so I can only apologise.
Perhaps with all the crossbars I've been hitting with Threeunderthrufive and Off The Jury, it felt like I'm approaching the 17th at Sawgrass.
Tanya Stevenson Panel Tips 1: Lord Of Thunder - Jack Richards Novices' Chase (14:00)
Joe Tizzard has had a great Festival to date, with his horses running well. The Changing Man was runner-up in the Ultima while Rock My Way was second in the National Hunt Challenge Cup.
Since Monday, he had had four seconds and a win from his last five runners. He has his horses well handicapped, and he could have another big chance in the Jack Richards Novices' Chase on Thursday.
I sat on a Cheltenham Festival preview with him last week, hoping to pick up some real gems.
I thought in this particular race, fate would bite back at everyone with Caldwell Potter and it still might. One of his defeats was against Jango Baie, but he has to concede 12lb to Lord Of Thunder.
Tizzard couldn't speak highly enough of his chances, and when delving into his form, he was improving rapidly over hurdles before making the transition to fences.
He fluffed his lines at Cheltenham on chase debut, but was in there with a chance when falling two out.
He has ran well against the likes of Lowrys Bar and then Handstands, before winning last time out beating Pic Roc whose oddsare shorter than his.
He has a lovely weight and I suspect he will improve again from his Newbury success which might just be enough.
Tanya Stevenson Panel Tips 2: Jungle Boogie - Ryanair Chase (15:20)
Il Est Francais in the Ryanair adds a wonderful dimension, and it leaves you with visions of his speed and dexterity over the fences. Many believe he should have gone for the Champion Chase, but he is sure to set an unrelenting pace.
That for me could test Fact To File, a class sort who may need three miles. He has won three Grade 1s over various distances, and was not far behind Galopin Des Champs in his last two starts. Those two runs means he will feature in the Ryanair Chase.
The aforementioned pair had both been subject of deliberations, which is why I choose to pick a runner who was always coming here, like Jungle Boogie.
He has only raced seven times, and won five of them. I know he has not won a Grade 1 yet, and I take that on board and so does the price on betting apps.
Twelve months ago, on only his fifth run, he ran in the Gold Cup and there was no horse travelling better than him. He just didn’t stay and he made a bad mistake at that jump and was not unduly pressured thereafter.
He has only had one run since, and that was a very easy success at Ascot, which told us nothing other than he was fit and well and very classy over this sort of distance.
Henry de Bromhead has three in this race and he has won it twice in the last seven years.
Jungle Boogie comes into the race as the unknown quantity, and I think he could prove to be a bit of a handful.
Tanya Stevenson Panel Tips 3: Git Maker - Kim Muir Handicap Chase (15:20)
Git Maker's preparations for the Kim Muir have been a bit of a mess. He hasn’t won since November 2023 at Lingfield.
After that, he finished sixth at Ascot to Victtorino, and then he was a valiant runner-up to Inothewayurthinking (who could go close in the Gold Cup this time around) in last year's Kim Muir.
He then ran a blinder in the Scottish Grand National to finish third, mainly because I never felt he was travelling.
Those two races together are bound to take a lot out of a horse, so it has taken a while for him to come back. There were glimmers of improvement at Haydock.
His seasonal debut was in a wacky races hurdle at Windsor. The track was always going to be too tight and fast for him, and he finished last.
But some of the hurdlers he was in with were speedsters at their best and he ended up like a ball bearing in a pinball machine.
Git Maker went from the frantic pace of Windsor to the Grand National Trial at Haydock, where he promptly made a mistake at most fences. He looked very rusty and I don’t know how he finished fourth let alone finished at all.
I'm hoping this is the main target rather than a return to Ayr. The fact that Will Biddick is in the saddle is a statement in itself, plus his rating dropping from 138 to 133 will also be a massive help.
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