When it comes to horse racing, there’s nothing quite like the Cheltenham Festival. Over four days of top-class action, some of the biggest races in the sport’s calendar take place at the Prestbury Park venue, with fans clamouring to examine the Betdaq horse racing odds in the hopes of landing a correct prediction.
The 2022 edition of the Cheltenham Festival is fast approaching, so as the days count down before the action gets underway, let’s take a brief look back at last year’s meeting, turning our attention specifically to day three of the event.
Marsh Novices’ Chase – Chantry House
After a relatively quiet opening two days of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, trainer Nicky Henderson got off to a good start on day three, as Chantry House secured him a victory in the Marsh Novices’ Chase. Nico de Boinville was the winning jockey, guiding the seven-year-old to a three-length winning margin over second-place Fusil Raffles. The race was defined by an early fall for pre-race odds-on favourite Envoi Allen.
Handicap Hurdle – Mrs Milner
Fans of the Liverpool footballer James Milner may have looked at the racecard with some interest ahead of the second race of the day, as many lumped on Mrs Milner to put in the kind of dogged display to match her footballing namesake.
In the end, it was a sensational performance, as the Paul Nolan-trained horse held off favourite The Bosses Oscar to seal a dramatic win. It emerged afterward that someone had alerted Liverpool’s Milner to the horse, and the footballer had placed a small bet after all!
Ryanair Chase – Allaho
The Ryanair Chase is a race that has grown in stature and reputation over the years since its introduction in 2005, and it is now legitimately one of the most prestigious races of the entire Festival. It’s no surprise then that it was Rachael Blackmore who earned the win in 2021, continuing her fine run of form with a victory on board Allaho for Willie Mullins. It was a strong performance by the 3/1 favourite, keeping the chasing pack at bay and sealing a comfortable 12-length victory.
Stayers’ Hurdle – Flooring Porter
The standout race of day three is always the Stayers’ Hurdle, which saw Flooring Porter triumph for trainer Gavin Cromwell at odds of 12/1. There were several more fancied contenders for the victory, but jockey Danny Mullins delivered a strong display to consign Sire Du Berlais and pre-race favourite Paisley Park to second and third respectively.
Handicap Chase – The Shunter
In the following Handicap Chase, things went according to plan as far as the bookies were concerned, as 9/4 favourite The Shunter landed the victory for trainer Emmet Mullins. The horses were all bunched together for a large part of the race, but The Shunter did just enough to edge clear at the last, leaving a scramble for the rest of the placings.
Novices’ Hurdle – Tellmesomethinggirl
Henry de Bromhead’s fine Festival continued in the Novices’ Hurdle, as Tellmesomethinggirl got the win — another triumph for the irrepressible Rachael Blackmore. There were five and a half lengths separating the winner from second-place Magic Daze in the end, proof of Blackmore and De Bromhead’s quality at Cheltenham last year.
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase – Mount Ida
Day three of the Cheltenham Festival was rounded off with the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase, where Mount Ida reigned supreme as the 3/1 favourite. It was another win for trainer Mrs Denise Foster, with Jack Kennedy the winning jockey once more.