The Cheltenham Festival rolls onto its third day, as the Thursday features plenty of competitive racing. Andrew Mount covers what is often the trickiest of the four days at the Festival with his top tips.
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Posted: 4:50pm, Wednesday, March 12th
1.20 Cheltenham – MAGIC MCCOLGAN (0.5pt e/w – 40/1 generally) & TOUR OVALIE (0.5pt e/w – 100/1 William Hill, Betfair, Paddy Power)
MAGIC MCCOLGAN landed the Get Your Punchestown Festival 2025 Tickets Today Mares Maiden Hurdle in January despite jumping markedly out to her left on the right-handed track, with her wayward hurdling getting worse as the race progressed. She was also far from fluent when runner-up at right-handed Cork on her penultimate start and could surprise now returned to a left-handed venue, despite taking a big step up in class. She’s only raced anticlockwise on one occasion – landing a Leopardstown bumper last spring – and is worth a small each-way punt at a huge price.
There’s an awful lot of early pace in this race and we often see big-priced runners come from the rear of the field to place in this contest, as well in the mares’ hurdle on the opening day. TOUR OVALIE will almost certainly be anchored out the back in the early stages and she’s worth a small bet at a massive price. The Evan Williams-trained six-year-old is the sixth fastest horse in this 2m1f contest according to Proform’s speed figures and arrives here in great form, having won four of her last five starts, finishing a never-nearer 33-1 ninth of 14 to Secret Squirrel in a hot 2m Class 2 handicap hurdle at Windsor in the other. That Windsor form is working out well, with the tenth – Cracking Rhapsody – landing the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso next time and the sixth and 11th – Wreckless Eric and Go Dante – fighting out the finish of the Imperial Cup last Saturday. Seventh-placed Beat The Bat gave the form another boost when placed in the Coral Cup yesterday.
2.40 Cheltenham – FEET OF A DANCER (1pt e/w – 10/1 888Sport, 9/1 William Hill) & IDEM (0.5pt e/w – 33/1 generally)
The Paul Nolan-trained FEET OF A DANCER has form figures of 111 (3-3) in spring/early summer and looks worth an each-way punt in the Pertemps Final. She failed to settle when third of 20 in the Leopardstown qualifier just after Christmas, racing closer to the early pace than ideal, and remains open to improvement at today’s 3m trip. She’s finished in the frame in nine of her first ten starts since her racecourse debut, with excuses when tenth of 18 at Galway in the summer of 2023 (hampered), and her trainer has won this with a mare before.
HARBOUR LAKE could sneak a place despite being an Alan King-trained hurdler (they are just 1-135 at the Cheltenham festival since 2009) but the one I want to save on is IDEM for Lucinda Russell. He caught the eye when a best-of-the-closers 18-1 fourth in last month’s qualifier at Musselburgh and has plenty of form in big-field handicap hurdles in the spring.
3.20 Cheltenham – PROTEKTORAT (1pt win – 7/1 Unibet, 13/2 William Hill) & HEART WOOD (1pt win – 20/1 bet 265, 18/1 William Hill, 16/1 generally)
PROTEKTORAT won this race 12 months ago and, though older than the last ten winners, Albertas Run doubled up in this race as a ten-year-old in 2011 and Fondmort was successful for this age group five years earlier. He has the prominent running style that is so effective in this race and will be happy to sit in behind likely pacesetter IL EST FRANCAIS rather than get into a scrap for the lead with that rival. Dan Skelton’s gelding hated the right-handed track when runner-up to Djelo in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon in December and duly reversed the form in emphatic fashion at Windsor next time. That form was boosted when Djelo, 23 lengths back in second, won the Denman Chase at Newbury on his next outing. It’s worth remembering that he has also run well in two Gold Cup, despite not staying the trip, and any rain will suit.
HEART WOOD struggled to stay the 3m1f trip when a five-length third to Inothewayurthinkin in Grade 1 novice company at Aintree last spring and also weakened late over a similar trip when a 15-length fourth to Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting. When given a trip shy of 3m, Henry De Bromhead’s seven-year-old has form figures of 222112 (2-6) and Darragh O’Keeffe takes over in the saddle from the struggling Rachael Blackmore.
4.00 Cheltenham – THE WALLPARK (1pt win – 13/2 bet365, William Hill)
The price has shortened considerably since I put up THE WALLPARK in GG’s Cheltenham festival preview but he’s still worth a punt at the available prices. Gordon Elliott’s seven-year-old was rattled off a four-timer in handicap hurdle company in the second half of last year before his fine three-length fourth to Crambo in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot when doing best of those to come from the rear. In the past ten years, backing six and seven-year-olds in this race would have found eight winners from 55 bets for a profit of £57.63.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.20 Cheltenham – MAGIC MCCOLGAN (0.5pt e/w – 40/1 generally) & TOUR OVALIE (0.5pt e/w – 100/1 William Hill, Betfair, Paddy Power)
2.40 Cheltenham – FEET OF A DANCER (1pt e/w – 10/1 888Sport, 9/1 William Hill) & IDEM (0.5pt e/w – 33/1 generally)
3.20 Cheltenham – PROTEKTORAT (1pt win – 7/1 Unibet, 13/2 William Hill) & HEART WOOD (1pt win – 20/1 bet 265, 18/1 William Hill, 16/1 generally)
4.00 Cheltenham – THE WALLPARK (1pt win – 13/2 bet365, William Hill)
Magic McColgan
Tour Ovalie
Feet Of A Dancer
Andrew Mount’s tips for Thursday, 13th March 2025
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