Wednesday Horse Racing Tips from Steve Ryder for Cheltenham

On official ratings, MONTY’S STAR (best priced at 13/2) has 12lbs to find with both Fact To File and Stay Away Fay but he is lightly raced and the Henry de Bromhead stable have made a good start to the festival this year. The seven-year-old beat stablemate Hiddenvalley Lake in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Clonmel last season before pulling up in the Albert Bartlett when he was still feeling the effects of that race. 

Monty’s Star finished a close 3rd behind impressive National Hunt Chase winner Corbetts Cross on his chasing debut at Fairyhouse when conceding both race fitness and chasing experience before winning at Punchestown over 3 miles on heavy ground on his next start. He has been kept fresh since and he can hopefully go one better than both Minella Indo and his half-brother Monalee who both finished 2nd in this race for owner Barry Maloney. 

The Harry Fry trained MIGHT I (best priced at 14/1) reverts back to hurdling in this race off a 3lb lower mark than when 4th in the Martin Pipe last season and he looks sure to run well.

The eight-year-old chased home both Constitution Hill and Jonbon as a novice hurdler before running well on both of his starts at Cheltenham. He finished 2nd over 2m1f on soft ground off a mark of 142 before finishing 4th behind Iroko in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle last season off a mark of 145. 

Might I ran well in his first two chase starts this season but following a poor jumping display at Ascot last time in a Grade 2 he reverts back to hurdling off a mark of 142. The handicapper has been extremely lenient dropping him to that mark and he should run well with up to eight (generally six) places available. 

This looks a weak 0-100 handicap chase and it looks a good opportunity for GALWAY MAHLER (best priced at 4/1) to record a hat-trick of wins.

The Karen Jewell trained seven-year-old outran odds of 150/1 to finish 3rd at Lingfield in December in first time cheekpieces before disappointing at Wincanton on his next start. He was an impressive six length winner over this course and distance in January off a mark of 79 and he defied a 7lb rise to follow up on heavy ground at Lingfield last time. 

Galway Mahler won by 2 ¼ lengths that day off a mark of 86 and he is deserving of a 5lb rise from the handicapper. Ben Jones takes over on board from the injured Caoilin Quinn which is no negative and he should prove hard to beat. 

TORTURED SOUL (best priced at 6/4) has form figures of 113111 since joining the Tony Carroll stable and he should hold strong claims in this race despite a wide draw. The progressive four-year-old has won off marks of 49, 51, 55, 59 and 64 and he runs here off a mark of 65. 

The handicapper has given him a revised mark of 68 so he runs here from 3lbs “well in” at the weights and he arguably put in his most impressive victory over this course and distance under Rossa Ryan on his penultimate start. He won by an eased down two lengths that day and he should prove hard to beat if Rossa Ryan can get a good early position from Stall 13.