Turners Novices' Chase

Galopin Des Champs

Willie Mullins' star novice is the most backed horse for Thursday at Cheltenham since the final declarations for Day 3 were made on Tuesday. 

Galopin Des Champs will take on fellow unbeaten chaser Bob Olinger in the Turners Novices' Chase, with El Barra and Busselton the only other runners set to face the starter. Galopin Des Champs has accounted for 56.4% of total bets on the Turners post final declarations.

Ryanair Chase

Allaho

It is another Willie Mullins-trained horse, Allaho (best price 4/6), who takes second place on our most backed list for St Patrick’s Day at Cheltenham. He has taken more than half of the bets (50.5%) through oddschecker for the Ryanair Chase, with Conflated a distant second in the betting (11.8%).

Bob Olinger

Allaho might have split the two Turners frontrunners in this most backed list, but don’t expect El Barra or Busselton to get in the way of the Galopin Des Champs or Bob Olinger in what is one of the most highly anticipated contests of the Festival. The former is the most backed going in, but Steve Ryder fancy Bob Olinger still makes the top three.

As part of his placepot head-to-head with Danny Mullins, Ryder wrote: “Last year’s Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle winner Galopin Des Champs is obviously respected following his impressive victory at the Dublin Racing Festival last time but I feel Bob Olinger will have too much speed for him and expect the Henry de Bromhead trained gelding to win this.”

Mares' Novices' Hurdle

Dinoblue

We move to the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle to find our fourth most backed horse of the day in Dinoblue, who heads the market with a best price 9/4. 

At the time of writing, the Mullins-trained five-year-old mare has pulled in 32.1% of bets for the 16:50 race. Interestingly, fifth favourite and relative outsider Love Envoi (11/1) comes second in the betting.

Pertemps Network Final

Sire Du Berlais

And finally, our fifth most backed horse for Day 3 at Cheltenham post final declarations is Sire Du Berlais, who lines up in the Pertemps Network Final at 14:10. Both Ryder and (Danny) Mullins have put forward Gordon Elliott’s 10-year-old for this one, with Mullins explaining:

“Sire Du Berlais has a great record around Cheltenham. I think with Rob James’ 7lb claim here it puts him right back into the reckoning. He's sure to be there with a chance at the finish.”