Cheltenham Festival Tips: Key Timeform data for day three including an improver in the Plate

14:00 - Jack Richards Handicap Chase: Firefox can make class tell

There are very big fields for most of Thursday's races at Cheltenham, including in the novice chase registered as the Golden Miller (14:00), the former Grade 1 contest which becomes a Grade 2 limited handicap for the first time. That's resulted in a maximum field of 20 (there are a couple of reserves) and plenty of them can be given chances.

The one who makes most appeal, though, is Firefox who is one of three representing Gordon Elliott. A BHA mark of 150 doesn't look too harsh given his wealth of form in graded company and he comes out best of these on the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings. The likeable Firefox made a fine start to his jumping career when beating Ballyburn on his hurdles debut at Fairyhouse and was placed in Grade 1 company at all three major Festivals in the spring.

This season's novice chase campaign has panned out in similar fashion, with a successful debut over fences at Down Royal followed by placings in better company, including when third to Majborough in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown last time. A reliable type, he has the potential to do better still returned to this longer trip for his handicap debut, as denoted by the Timeform 'small p'.

15:20 - Ryanair Chase: Trip looks ideal for 'Horse In Focus' Fact To File

The Ryanair Chase (15:20) offers some respite from the bigger fields on the card but it's no less fascinating, with last year's winner Protektorat and the French-trained King George runner-up Il Est Francais sure to guarantee plenty of pace.

That should be ideal for another dropping back in trip, Fact To File. His win in the Brown Advisory at last year's Festival put him firmly in the Gold Cup picture, something he underlined with a successful reappearance in the John Durkan Punchestown Chase. However, his last couple of starts over three miles at Leopardstown when finishing behind stablemate Galopin des Champs have prompted connections to take the shorter option here.

Second in the Savills Chase when he didn't settle fully and then third in the Irish Gold Cup when he was outstayed after typically travelling well, Fact To File should be ideally suited by a well-run race over two and a half miles. Yet to finish out of the first three in his career, Fact To File heads the Timeform ratings by 3 lb from Il Est Francais and earned the 'Horse In Focus' flag from his latest start in which he shaped well with this race in mind.

16:40 - Plate Handicap Chase: Novice Jagwar makes plenty of appeal

Jagwar could have run in the novice contest earlier on the card but JP McManus's only representative in either race takes his chance in the Plate (16:40) instead. As a lightly-raced six-year-old, that already makes him an interesting runner in a field of largely older and more exposed rivals.

Jagwar's first season with Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero as a novice hurdler was fairly low-key, but he won at Carlisle and always had the look of one with untapped potential for chasing later on. He has duly left his hurdles form behind switched to fences this term, winning at Wetherby and Bangor in the autumn and making it three out of four over the larger obstacles at Cheltenham last time.

That course-and-distance win came on Trials Day in the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase which is traditionally a strong race of its type and was won by the subsequent Plate winner Simply The Betts in 2020. Jumping soundly under a patient ride, Jagwar asserted in good style in the manner of a progressive young chaser and a 7 lb rise in the weights shouldn't be enough to prevent him from following up. As well as heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, he's the only one in the field with the 'p' that indicates further progress to come.

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