After a 10/1 winner on Day 2 of Cheltenham Festival Jake Price is back with his Day 3 selections.
Jake Price Day Two Tips Results
Ballyfad (1pt win, NRNB) ANTEPOST LOST
Ballyfad [1pt Win @ 8/1) LOST
THE YELLOW CLAY 0.75pts EW (6 Places) @ 8/1 LOST
JINGKO BLUE 0.5pts EW (5 Places) @ 10/1 WON
FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU 1.5pts Win @ 5/2 LOST
VANDERPOEL 1pt EW (5 Places) @ 8/1 LOST
RUBAUD 0.5pts EW (5 Places) @ 18/1 LOST
QUIRYN 1pt Win @ 9/1
13:20 Cheltenham
Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Tips
Back when LA CONQUIERE won the Listed Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on the 29th November you would quite reasonably expect that plenty more contenders in this division would appear, but aside from the short priced favourite Bambino Fever and her conqueror Oldschool Outlaw, there really hasn’t been much to come out of the woodwork.
Jamie Snowden’s 7yo ran an absolute blinder on her debut for the yard last Spring however, where she contested the Grade 2 Mares’ Bumper at Aintree and was only beaten half-a-length by Seo Linn – who is a proper Flat bred horse now rated 86 in that code. Considering our Mare is a National Hunt type, she did extremely well on her first start for 103 days, and she even had the useful Kingston Queen two lengths behind.
Connections were rightfully excited to send her jumping this campaign, and on Hurdles debut she was immediately victorious at Uttoxeter. The race was quite a slowly run affair and it developed into a bit of a sprint, but despite the runner-up Dream Shadow (who has won twice since) having first run, LA CONQUIERE showed a lovely turn of foot to score a shade cosily come the line.
Her aforementioned Listed success at Newbury was where she really proved herself to be a genuine contender at this level however, as under a confident Gavin Sheehan ride she again showed a really nice turn of foot after the last to lengthen away and score by an easy 3.5 lengths. Twice then she has shown a turn of foot and done her best work in the closing stages of a race, which to me is the perfect running style for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. It is also worth noting that the penalty structure for that Grade 2 at Cheltenham has now been abolished, so she won’t have to carry any penalties for winning at Listed level.
She was last seen running an admirable race against her elders at Ascot in a Grade 2 contest, and she even had to give the close winner Ooh Betty (132) 2lbs – but it was a lovely performance from the Mare on just her third start over obstacles. If she improves again, she will surely hit the frame. Obviously the favourite Bambino Fever has huge claims, but I would still play our Mare now at 0.5pts Each/Way, as I seriously think she has a huge claim of hitting the frame with the ground coming up perfectly for her speed.
LA CONQUIERE [1pt Win @ 14/1 Ante-Post]
14:00 Cheltenham
Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase Tips
This is a tough race now with Koktail Divin sadly not turning up, but I have come round to backing SIXMILEBRIDGE as his replacement, as I think he is just a very classy horse in this race having won a Grade 1 last time out, yet his mark of 150 would still give him a strong chance. As much as Meetmembythesea looks to have been laid out for this, if you go back and look through his form, I am not quite so sure that it is as strong as some people would have you believe.
15:20 Cheltenham
Stayers Hurdle Tips
I am on HONESTY POLICY at a huge price in my Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post column, and I certainly would not be abandoning him now with the drying ground at Prestbury Park right up his street. He ran a belter in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot where he was up against two race-fit rivals in
Impose Toi and Strong Leader, but there simply has to be more improvement to come from him considering that was only his first start in open Grade 1 company. He has huge claims here, and I would still have a 1pt Win bet at the current prices available.
16:00 Cheltenham
Ryanair Chase Tips
I am on JONBON at a big price in my Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post column, but he is one that I have cooled on since putting him up. It is a shame that Fact To File runs here rather than in the Gold Cup, but obviously you would have to have huge respect for him because he is a classy horse. Hopefully our lad will run another belter, but I can’t recommend him as a bet at the current prices due to how strong the favourite is.
16:40 Cheltenham
Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle Tips
Supremely West is obviously a ridiculously short price for this race, and perhaps it will end up looking foolish to take him on – but I just think that ELECTRIC MASON has been overlooked at the current prices available owing to the fact that he has actually won a decent race since their Cheltenham Qualifer in October, rather than been messed around with.
He ran a massive race in that October race to finish second behind Ma Shantou despite being up in the van the whole way around, in a race where it paid to come from off the pace. That effort came off a mark of 128, but despite a 4lbs rise he was still able to go to the Betfair Stayers Handicap Hurdle at Haydock and win – gamely beating Hartington (127) by a neck. Plenty of horses in that competitive race have come out and won since, but Chris Gordon has put our selection away with the Pertemps Final specifically in mind.
17:20 Cheltenham
Kim Muir Handicap Chase Tips
Despite being a short enough price, I would give WATERFORD WHIPERS one chance in the Kim Muir to end the Thursday card. This 8yo has been an absolute tease of a horse since running so well in the 2024 Martin Pipe, but I love backing these types of horses that seemingly everyone else has given up on, as there is clearly a good reason why people were keen to back him in the first place – as he is very talented.
His last run saw him finish a staying-on third behind Backmersackme at the Dublin Racing Festival however, and the question he has to face now is whether he will stay this 3m2½f trip. If he does stay though then he has huge claims, and Alan O’Sullivan being booked to ride and take off 3lbs can only be a help. He surely will run another big race back at Cheltenham.
