Cheltenham Festival Analysis: Rachael Blackmore's expert insight on day three

• Get Rachael Blackmore's views on Day Three's feature races 

• And the legendary jockey also highlights three Irish runners to note 

• Bet £10 get £10 on racing multiples every day of Cheltenham Festival

• Check out our Betfair Tipsters' Best Bets for the Festival

• Read our in-depth guide to the third day of the Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Day 3 Superboost

Twelve-time Grade 1 winner Jonbon has been well-backed to win today's Ryanair Chase at 16:00, and the Betfair Sportsbook have generously super-boosted his price to 1/12.00 to finish in the first three.

The Nicky Henderson-trained stable star has never failed to finish out of the first two in all 26 career starts, and with the stable in hot form this week Jonbon should give followers an excellent run for their money

To take advantage of Thursday's Superboost just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

Rachael Blackmore on the Mares' Novices' Hurdle

Click here for Mares' Novices' Hurdle odds 
Cheltenham, 13:20 
Live on ITV

Bambino Fever will be popular in the opening race on Thursday, the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, and deservedly so.  She was a top-class bumper mare last season, and she proved that she could operate at Cheltenham when she won the Champion Bumper last March.

It looks like Oldschool Outlaw has improved this season.  She won a listed mares' bumper at Navan on her debut this season, and she beat Bambino Fever on her hurdling debut at Naas in December, before going to Fairyhouse last month and winning the Grade 3 Solerina Hurdle. 

There may not be much between them again though, that was Bambino Fever's seasonal debut, and she has since run out an impressive winner of her maiden hurdle.

Henry has Echoing Silence here for Kenny Alexander, who will be hoping that his mare can emulate Telmesomethinggirl's win in this race in 2021. Echoing Silence looks to be improving too, she won her maiden hurdle nicely at Cork in early November before winning a listed mares' novice hurdle at Punchestown the following month.   She'll have to step forward again now, but things seem to be clicking for her now, and Henry's horses often do step forward at Cheltenham.

Rachael Blackmore on the Stayers' Hurdle

Click here for the Stayers' Hurdle odds 
Cheltenham, 15:20
Live on ITV

If I was allowed to ride one horse this week, it would be Bob Olinger in the Stayers' Hurdle!

He is just an incredible horse, especially around Cheltenham. Davy Roche does a lot of the work with him in Knockeen, and he is very happy with him in the lead up to the race.  He is lightly raced, and this has been his main target all year.

He is straightforward to ride, you just let the race unfold in front you.  On his performance last year, and the feel that I got of him turning into the home straight, I can't see anything finishing in front of him.

Rachael Blackwood on the Ryanair Chase

Click here for Ryanair Chase odds 
Cheltenham, 13:20 
Live on ITV

It's impossible to not side with Fact To File here. Heart Wood ran very well in the races last year, and Henry has said that he thinks that he has improved again this year.

I'm sure that Heart Wood won't be too far away, in case Fact To File under-performs.  But Fact To File put up one of the most impressive performances of the meeting when he won this race last year and, if the Fact To File we saw in Leopardstown last month lines up here, he will be very hard to beat.

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Three Irish horses to note on Thursday:

Slade Steel (Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase, Cheltenham, 14.00)

Slade Steel has been running well so far over fences, but he just hasn't managed to get his head in front yet. This looks like an ideal race for him though, two miles and four and a half furlongs on good to soft ground at Cheltenham.  He won the Siupreme Novices' Hurdle on his only run at Cheltenham to date.

Expectations were obviously high for him when he went over fences. He has finished second to good horses, and his first win over fences shouldn't be too far off. Conditions could be ideal for him to here.

Waterford Whispers (Kim Muir, Cheltenham, 17.20)

Waterford whispers is a lovely big horse who stayed on well last time to finish third in the Leopardstown Handicap Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival.

That was his first run since November, so he could improve on that now.  He is another horse who ran well on his only previous run at Cheltenham, he finished second behind Better Days Ahead in the Martin Pipe Hurdle two years ago.  He goes there with a chance, and Alan O'Sullivan will be taking off a valuable 3lb.

Wodhooh (Mares' Hurdle, Cheltenham, 14.40)

Wodhooh has won nine of her 10 races over hurdles, her only defeat coming in the Aintree Hurdle last year when she finished second behind Lossiemouth.

She won the Martin Pipe Hurdle last year, and she seems to have improved with each run since.  The Mares' Hurdle is on the New Course this year, so it's run over the same course and distance as the Martin Pipe, and that should suit Wodhooh.

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