The Yuuloracingtips Cheltenham Festival Racecard for Thursday 13th March 2025

The Yuuloracingtips Cheltenham Festival Racecard for Thursday 13th March

Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 1.20
Aurora Vega
This bred in the purple Mare has taken a while to get it all together over timber, but her last win in a Grade 3 Novice at Fairyhouse looks good enough form for me. She’s the choice of Paul Townend, with Mark Walsh retained for the ride on Karoline Banbou, but this pair, and the rest of the Willie Mullins squad of seven all have to fear Gavin Cromwell’s Sixandahalf, who has headed the markets all this week. She gave a beating to Gordon Elliott’s Qualimita at Fairyhouse in taking fashion the last day, and does look potentially smart, but Aurora Vega is the one for me.

Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) 2.00
Springwell Bay
Horses for courses here as Springwell Bay looks to shrug off top weight to take this Handicap Chase. Jonjo & AJ O’Neill’s Kayf Tara gelding likes it around here, and was pretty impressive in the Betfair Exchange Handicap, here on New Year’s Day. That course and distance win is going to keep him prominent in the betting, and he’s taken to get upsides of Irish raiders Nurburgring and Firefox from Joseph O’Brien and Gordon Elliott’s yards respectively. It’s likely to be Firefox that has most to offer over fences, and he’s been running in some pretty good company, with a neck third to Croke Park in the Grade One Drinmore the standout piece of form in his book. Firefox drops into handicap company, but Springwell Bay knows his was round here, so gets my vote.

Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 2.40
Win Some Lose Some
The step up to three miles seems to have brought about any amount of improvement for Padraig Roche’s six year old, so a chance is taken on a repeat of his Leopardstown win. This is a hot race, but he showed he could navigate his way through a big field in that Qualifier, so takes his chances in the Pertemps Final. Dangers abound, not least Nicky Henderson’s Jeriko Du Reponet, Gavin Cromwell’s in-form Will The Wise and Paul Nolan’s Feet Of A Dancer. With Henri The Second unexposed at this trip, and James Owen’s One Big Bang both looking decent each-way chances, it’s the usual tricky one to call, but Win Some Lose Some gets the nudge.

Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) 3.20
Fact To File (nap)
This is an absolute cracker of a race, where I’d expect James Reveley to employ the usual tactics on Il Est Francais. That involves going hell for leather from the off to take the sting out of the rest of the field, a plan he nearly pulled off in the King George VI at Kempton on Boxing Day. However, Dan Skelton and brother Harry have reverted to front-running their star chaser, Protektorat, and will surely try that once more in defence of this title. With two front runners, there’s going to be plenty of pace about, but waiting in the wings will be Fact To File, who’s going to bide his time under Mark Walsh and let Protektorat and Il Est Francais take each other on. The final half-mile can bring Djelo into the picture too, so he’s an intriguing each-way angle if the front pair do too much too soon, but Fact To File was superb in the Brown Advisory here last year, and is very hard to oppose, The race of the day, for me! with Fact To File the one to follow.

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 4.00
Teahupoo (nb)
Last year’s winner Teahupoo can defend his title here, with this race the target for the season. He’s been kept wrapped up since a three and three-quarter length second to Lossiemouth in the Hatton’s Grace in December, but that’s when this Masked Marvel gelding is at his best, coming out fresh, so should have enough class to see off the progressive Home By The Lee, while it’s hard to believe that Bob Olinger has been available at 22/1 in ante-post markets, but that does show the depth of this race. Dan Skelton’s Langer Dan comes alive in the spring, so is worth a shot at this grade, while Nicky Henderson’s Lucky Place completes the list of dangers. Teahupoo to take this, but perhaps not as easily as last year.

TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 4.40
Shakem Up’arry
Last year’s winner looks to me totally mispriced in the markets this week, and with Ben Pauling firing in the winners for fun this season, I’ll chance my arm with an each-way gamble on Shakem Up’arry. I would be thinking that this has been the target all year, so maybe that’s why Callum Pritchard didn’t exactly knock the spots off him in the Veterans Handicap Chase at Warwick last month, so Shakem Up’arry has a very good chance of getting into the money once again. Jagwar has been well supported this week, while Alan King’s Masaccio has cheekpieces to aid the concentration, and also makes the shortlist.

Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase 5.20
Sa Majeste
Anything could win this, but unexposed chaser Sa Majeste is one that ticks all the boxes for me. The change to fencing has brought about no end of improvement, and the step up to around the three mile marker even more so, while this being the Amateur Jockeys’ Chase, there could be no better replacement in the saddle than Patrick Mullins. Gavin Cromwell’s pair of Mint Boy and Yeah Man can also put in a big run, while the best of the home team looks to be Jonjo & AJ O’Neill’s Johnnywho, but Sa Majeste does it for me.

Katy @yuuloracingtips