Cheltenham Festival Day 3

The Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival can be a bloodbath for punters, it's normally the hardest day of the week. Our heads stay above water, Marine Nationale was a nice winner yesterday.

It's perhaps best to play things safe today and get through to Gold Cup day in a fair position.

Firefox in the 2:00 should run very well. He's a Grade 1 horse, dropping into a handicap. I expect Gordon Elliott to get his Cheltenham up and running this afternoon.

The Ryainair at 3:20, it's hard to get away from Fact To File.

There isn't a Galopin Des Champs in this field, the French horse Il Est Francais will bid to go hard from the front and get away, but Cheltenham isn't Kempton, and he'll be there to be shot at from the last where Fact To File will take it up.

The big race of the day is the Stayers Hurdle at 4:00.

Teahupoo is the correct favourite, trying to find something to beat him isn't easy, each time try, keep going back to Teahupoo. It will be hard to take his crown. At an EW price, Rocky's Diamond can outrun his massive odds, 25-1. He's got younger legs than others and an improving type. Most bookies paying 4 places.

In the Plate, 4:40.

I think Masaccio ew has a sound chance of turning the form around with Jagwar.
Reported to have worked very well in cheekpieces last week and with a 6lb pull in the weights, Masaccio looks to have a nice ew chance at 8-1. 6 places with a lot of bookies.