Cheltenham Day Three Placepot Perm: Four Bankers and a Jigsaw
The opening race of Cheltenham’s Thursday card will go to an Irish-trained horse. The Turners Novices’ Chase has only attracted four runners. All are based in the Emerald Isle!
Allaho, an obvious Placepot baker, is expected to claim his second Ryainair Chase on Thursday. ©GettyImages
On paper, Bob Olinger and Galopin Des Champs are head and shoulders above their rivals. The bookmakers agree. El Barra and Busselton are trading at 20/1 or greater.
In a four runner-race, only the winner counts in a Placepot. So should one of those outsiders prevail, the Placepot dividend is guaranteed to be mouthwatering.
Covering all the bases and placing all four into your Placepot slip on your favourite horse racing betting site is the safe play, but it is also a foolhardy approach. In a split strategy, our advice is to play the two outsiders for micro stakes and just one horse, Galopin Des Champs, as your chief Placepot hope.
Sire de Berlais and Allaho Are Banker Bets
The 2.10 pm contest is the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle. Irish-trained horses have taken the six most recent editions of this contest. Owner, JP McManus, has had a horse placed in six of the last ten running’s of the three-mile race.
Similarly, the Gordon Elliott stable has had at least one horse placed during each of the past five years. These statistics make Sire De Berlais an obvious banker.
Owned by McManus and trained by Elliott, this admirable ten-year-old won this race in 2019 and 2020. He was also runner-up in last season’s Stayers Hurdle, so he unquestionably loves Prestbury Park.
Ridden by the capable seven-pound claimer, Rob James, Sire De Berlais can find a place in the frame once more and rates banker Placepot material.
Next up, Allaho is fancied to repeat his 2021 victory in the Ryanair Chase (2.50 pm). A breath-taking 12-length scorer 12 months ago, the eight-year-old has landed both prep races this winter and has plenty in hand on official ratings.
Like Sire De Berlais, Allaho is another banker Placepot selection.
Thyme Hill to Love the Cheltenham Hill?
The three previous winners of the Stayers Hurdle return to contest this year’s race. But neither Flooring Porter, Lisnagar Oscar or Paisley Park make our Placepot slip. Instead, Thyme Hill is yet another banker selection.
His trainer, Philip Hobbs, has been bullish about his horse’s chances in recent weeks. Unlike most contenders, Thyme Hill comes into this race fresh, and he showed his class by winning a Grade-1 three-mile stayers contest at last year’s Grand National meeting.
Flooring Porter, Lisnagar Oscar, the short-priced Champ and Klassical Dream have raced more recently. All were beaten on their latest start. Consequently, it is hard to place too much faith in them.
Avoiding the Top Weights in the Plate Chase
The 4.10 pm, the Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase, is a jigsaw puzzle masquerading as a horse race.
With a cross-section of Irish and English horses aged six, seven and eight, winning the race during the past decade, the history books help us very little. However, it does show only one horse has carried more than 11-stone four-pounds to victory since 1985.
Last season The Shunter was the eighth successive winner of this race to be officially rated in the 140s. Using those points of reference, we have narrowed this one down to six horses: Grand Paradis, Cavalry Master, Stolen Silver, The Glancing Queen, Celebre D’Allen and Admirel.
Mullins’ Mares Are Too Short
There have been six running’s of the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Willie Mullins-trained horses have won the contest five times. On Thursday, the Irish trainer fields seven of the 22 runners in the race.
His once-raced Dinoblue is sure to go off as favorite but will the lack of experience count against her? Stablemate Brandy Love jumped appallingly when beaten at Fairyhouse on her most recent start. Nevertheless, she is the second favorite!
On grounds of experience, Party Central would appear the safest Placepot play. The Gordon Elliott-trained mare has won three of her four hurdle starts. Most recently she collected €59,000 when comfortably winning a Leopardstown handicap hurdle.
Love Envoi will be a double-digit price with the top British online bookmakers but she is another to add to your Placepot. The English hope is unbeaten in all five career starts. Her last three successes have come on heavy ground. But there is nothing in her breeding to suggest she will not be every part as effective on faster conditions.
| Race 1 selection: | 3 |
| Race 2 selection: | 1 |
| Race 3 selection: | 1 |
| Race 4 selection: | 9 |
| Race 5 selections: | 7-10-11-13-14-15 |
| Race 6 selection: | 2-3 |
12 Placepot Lines
| Race 1 selection: | 2-4 |
| Race 2 selection: | 1 |
| Race 3 selection: | 1 |
| Race 4 selection: | 9 |
| Race 5 selections: | 7-10-11-13-14-15 |
| Race 6 selection: | 2-3 |
24 Placepot Lines
