13:30 – Turners Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) – Mighty Potter
GORDON Elliot has two winners so far this Cheltenham, with Delta Work claiming back-to-back Cross Country Chases yesterday. Mighty Potter has won three out of three over fences, including two grade ones ahead of the National Hunt Challenge Cup winner Gaillard Du Mesnil. He also has form finishing ahead of Banbridge who was last seen finishing just a nose ahead of Appreciate It. This means he has significant form ahead of the Irish horses in the field and Gordon Elliott is hoping this horse will be one of his better chances for another win this week.
14:50 – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) – Janidil
LAST year’s runner-up made a winning return after 297 days off the track in the grade two Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park last month. Willie Mullins said his runner was “a little further advanced” than he thought and the result put him firmly in the Ryanair Chase picture. It was a graded winning return after a long lay off and he should improve for the run. This pick does mean that Shishkin doesn’t make the cut, a horse who appears to have tonnes more ability and is much more proven as a winner at grade one level. However, the ground has gone very soft and Shishkin was pulled up in similar conditions early in the Champion Chase last season. The conditions could produce an upset in favour of a horse with staying power and Janidil should fit that profile.
15:30 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – Teahupoo
TEAHUPOO has been an impressive this season in two starts but is a newcomer to the staying hurdle division. He started the season by handing the amazing Honeysuckle her first ever defeat, over a trip of two-and-a-half miles and saw off established stayer Klassical Dream in the finish. This result showed that the horse had enough pace to see off the best two-miler of the last three seasons, but also had the stamina to fend off a stayer. He then won his first three-mile contest in January, the grade two Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park. He won by 15 lengths on very soft ground and although the form of the horses in behind hasn’t been that good lately, there were some strong staying types in there and he passed the test with flying colours. The conditions will be soft again here and the division looks quite open this season and this horse could be hard to beat based on the early season form.
16:10 – Magners Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) – Midnight River (Each Way)
WITH the Skeltons off the mark with Langer Dan’s victory in the Coral Cup, another handicap success could be on the cards on day three. He won a premier handicap here on New Years Day, finishing ahead of Stolen Silver who was just over two lengths in second. Il Ridoto was also in behind and won his subsequent run ahead of Fugitif at Cheltenham later in the month. He will carry 5lbs more than last time out but that retains a difference of 6lbs between him and Il Ridoto. Dan Skelton has said that good to soft ground that is soft in places would suit and thinks the horse could step up to three miles in future. Despite a weight increase he has form ahead of some of the key runners here and showed plenty of staying ability ahead of Stolen Silver last time out.
16:50 – Jack de Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) – Luccia
LUCCIA has shown great ability, going unbeaten in four starts including two listed events over hurdles. Nicky Henderson has said he isn’t concerned if the ground were to be soft because she won a listed bumper in testing conditions. She has always shown the ability to travel powerfully and last time at Exeter, ignoring a messy final jump, she jumped cleanly on an undulating course. She has form ahead of Dan Skelton’s She’s A Saint, who although hasn’t won at graded or listed level, has never finished outside the top two. She also beat Eabha Grace in a bumper last season, who went on to win a grade three novices’ hurdle. The winning distance was 17 lengths, a sign of a class horse. She is yet to have ran above listed level, but certain parts of her form and the way she wins her races suggest she could easily achieve graded success.
Hawkinsport 