"168", "name" => "Cheltenham", "category" => "The Cheltenham Festival", "path" => "/var/www/vhosts/betting.betfair.com/httpdocs/horse-racing/cheltenham/", "url" => "https://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/cheltenham/", "title" => "Cheltenham Thursday Tips | The Irish Challenge | Free £25 Bet", "desc" => "Thursday Cheltenham Tips and after a wonderful day for the Irish, can the green prevail again? Free £25 Cheltenham Bet for all new accounts.", "keywords" => "", "robots" => "index,follow" ); ?>

The Irish Challenge: Saddlers Can Storm Home

The Cheltenham Festival RSS / / 17 March 2011 /

" class="free_bet_btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">
There's every chance of more Irish-trained winners to come.

There's every chance of more Irish-trained winners to come.

"Saddlers Storm arrives on the back of an eye-catching effort over hurdles.."

After a superb Wednesday, not least for this column, it's on to day three and another winner or two would be the ideal way to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

2006 was the best Cheltenham Festival for the Irish with ten winners and there must be a good chance that figure will be matched in the very first race today which sees the inaugural running of the Jewson Novices' Chase over two and a half miles. Paul Nolan's Noble Prince (13.30) looks the pick of the four Irish challengers and can give A. P. McCoy his first winner of the week. Noble Prince has made a highly promising start over fences, winning a Punchestown maiden before finishing runner-up to Arkle third Realt Dubh in two Grade 1s, beating two of today's rivals along the way in Loosen My Load and Mr Cracker. Noble Prince ran a fine race on his first visit to Cheltenham last year in the County Hurdle, finishing fifth having been repeatedly hampered, and with more luck on his side today he can get St Patrick's Day off to a flyer.

You have to go back to 1983 and Greasepaint to find the last Irish-trained winner of the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir for amateur riders, but Saddlers Storm (16.40) could give punters a good run for their money in the ever-competitive handicap today. The nine-year-old is Tony Martin's first runner of the week and arrives on the back of an eye-catching effort over hurdles. He's just 8 lb higher in the weights than in last season's Irish National when he tipped up 5 out when going really well, and top amateur Derek O'Connor, who partnered Chicago Grey to victory yesterday, is in the saddle.

Recommendations

Back Noble Prince @ [6.0] in the 13.30
Back Saddlers Storm win and place @ [15.0] and [4.2] in the 16.40

Open a Betfair account today and claim your £25 Free Bet

Get the Timeform Jury's tips for every Channel 4 race at the Cheltenham Festival this week with Timeform TV Focus. Click HERE to find out more.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>