Dean Ryan's Tips For Every Day At Cheltenham 2026: Day 3
We roll into day three at the Festival, and we have been treated to some brilliant racing already.
It’s the halfway stage for bookies and punters alike, and today has a plethora of strongly fancied favourites to make or break the week for each side!
The Mares Novices Hurdle – 14.20
Bambino Fever is a very well fancied jolly to get punters off to a good start, and last year's bumper winner will surely be hard to beat.
Oldschool Outlaw has already done it this season, and they are set to battle again.
I’m a big fan of Carrigmornaspruce, who shouldn’t be left out of calculations at all.
Smart in bumpers, already shown a high level over obstacles.
You can back her at 10/1 each way, but 5/1 without the front two in the market is huge value, and I expect her to run very well under James Bowen, who is already having a good week.
Dean’s Daily Selection 1: 13:20 Cheltenham - Carrigmorna Spruce 0.5pt Each-Way – 10/1
The Jack Richards Novice Chase – 14.00
Regents Stroll and Meetmebythesea head the market here, and both have solid profiles.
Slade Steel has yet to blossom over fences but is surely a player if the jumping holds up.
I’ll take a chance with Western Knight, who has always been very highly regarded and has been in great form for the Tizzards.
This is a step up in a hot race, but at a huge price with plenty of places on offer makes it appealing.
Should go from the front end under Brendan Powell and thus stay out of any trouble, and that will help the chances in a big field of novices.
Dean’s Daily Selection 3: 14:00 Cheltenham - Western Knight 0.5pt Each-Way – 33/1 (5 places)
The Mares Hurdle – 14.40
Wodhooh seems to have this at her mercy for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy, especially since both Lossiemouth and Brighter Days Ahead went to the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.
She’s super tough, already a Festival winner and rightly odds-on in a small field.
Jade De Grugy and Jetara appeal best of the rest with the latter interesting in the w/o markets at around 6/1 on offer, removing the top two in the market, and we will take a small bet there.
They’ve gone for first-time blinkers, Sam Ewing rides and I think she’ll do best of the rest for Jessica Harrington.
Dean’s Daily Selection 4: 14:40 Cheltenham - Jetara 0.5pt Win – W/O Wodhooh & Jade De Grugy - 6/1
The Stayers Hurdle – 15.20
This race seems to have been replaced by the Ryanair as the feature these days for Thursday, but it’s a hot race all the same this time with Teahupoo back to try and regain the crown and Bob Olinger, who gunned him down last year, in opposition once more.
I do fancy Teahupoo will beat his 11-year-old stablemate, and at the age of nine, himself, probably has one last big one in him at the Festival.
The two six-year-olds, Kabral Du Mathan and Honesty Policy, are smart recruits to the stayers division for sure, and alongside Ma Shantou, who represents the great Paisley Park connections, it’s a belter of a race.
I think our old friend Impose Toi is perhaps the value play in the race, though. Often keeps a bit to himself and doesn’t get the credit deserved.
If he is going to win a Stayers’ Hurdle, it is this year after a good season, and conditions are perfect for him to put in a career best.
The older ones may just be coming to an end, and the new brigade may be the ones for next year.
At double-figure odds, we can play each-way and watch Nico de Boinville nurse him into the contest and go one better than the second at the Festival last year in the Coral Cup.
Dean’s Daily Selection 5: 15:20 Cheltenham - Impose Toi 1pt Each-Way – 12/1 (4 places)
The Ryanair Chase – 4.00pm
What looked like a penalty kick for the connections of Fact To File suddenly doesn’t look as straightforward as Impaire Et Passe, Banbridge and Jonbon are all in the mix for the Ryanair, which didn’t look likely a few weeks ago.
It was a poor decision for racings sake not to let the Irish Gold Cup winner go for Gold on Friday but Fact To File is probably the best horse in training, and whilst can never be considered a true great for winning a couple of Ryanairs at the Festival, a Brown Advisory and a second in the Bumper, it would still be a some achievement all the same should that happen.
I’m not going to take him on; I’m also not advising a bet at 4/6. I would have certainly considered him the most likely winner of the Gold Cup this year, but it’s not to be.
It would be wonderful to see Jonbon go well; he deserves a big one at this meeting.
I feel Impaire Et Passe will be the one to get closest to the favourite, and it’s 3/1 W/O, and that is fair. A much better race than we might have got, just a shame it exists!
No Bet
The Pertemps Final - 16.40
Supremely West has been set up smartly for this by the Skelton camp, and clearly the market agrees, another well-delivered plot about to land, perhaps, but the price is tight if you didn’t see it coming and got involved earlier.
C’est Different is a huge danger and double the price, and must go well after an excellent time of things for Sam Thomas.
There is plenty more to come from the six-year-old, and he merits support against the jolly at the odds.
The other dart is Staffordshire Knot, who goes for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy. No secret here on ability terms and will have to carry top weight, but it is deserved.
Huge strapping type who could probably do with a touch of rain before the off, but either way the class act of the field can make a bold bid.
Dean’s Daily Selection 6: 16:40 Cheltenham - C’est Different 1pt Each-Way – 8/1
Dean’s Daily Selection 7: 16:40 Cheltenham - Staffordshire Knot 0.5pt Each-Way – 14/1
The Kim Muir – 17.20
There will be a lot of support for the JP McManus runner Jeriko Du Reponet, who holds solid claims for Nicky Henderson and has the services of Derek O’Connor on top.
The The Cheltenham Brain has the same idea, and he is sure to be thereabouts.
Two darts for the finale are Herakles Westwood, who goes well here and is in good form now, with optimum conditions to work with.
Not unfound in the market but worth a small play with a good pilot up in Finian Maguire, who gets on well with the Warren Greatrex inmate.
The other is Weveallbeencaught, who didn’t quite go through with the run at Leopardstown last time out but can do much better here.
Ran placed in this race last year and is overpriced to figure again off a workable handicap mark.
Dean’s Daily Selection 8: 17:20 Cheltenham - Herakles Westwood 0.5pt Each-Way – 10/1
Dean’s Daily Selection 9: 17:20 Cheltenham - Weveallbeencaught 0.5pt Each-Way – 20/1
* Odds correct at time of publication.
