Three more each-way returns for David Massey and Rory Delargy at Cheltenham yesterday - find out who they're backing on day three of the Festival.
Racing betting tips: Thursday March 13
0.5pts e.w Lagertha in 1.20 Cheltenham at 150/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5 Paddy Power, min 125/1)
1pt e.w Springwell Bay in the 2.00 Cheltenham at 11/2 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6 Sky Bet, take no lower)
1pt e.w Protektorat in the 3.20 Cheltenham at 6/1 (General, 1/5 1,2,3, min 11/2)
0.5pts e.w Gowel Road in the 4.00 Cheltenham at 25/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4 General)
0.5pts e.w Masaccio in the 4.40 Cheltenham at 8/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5 General, min 15/2)
0.5pts e.w Mint Boy in the 5.20 Cheltenham at 11/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4,5 General, min 10/1)
1.20 Cheltenham
From David's point of view, LAGERTHA was easily the pick of the paddock at Chepstow last time, a lovely, robust mare with a good future ahead of her; winning a Chepstow maiden hurdle is one thing and she needs a lot more here, but she'll be ridden to pick up the pieces and so five places on offer and a three-figure price is simply too good to resist.
2.00 Cheltenham
SPRINGWELL BAY went in at the last minute, connections clearly toying with the Plate later in the afternoon as well, but this is the right race for me, despite having to hump top weight. We like the way he’s progressed throughout the season; he clearly didn’t stay three miles behind Hyland here in November, but that second to Jango Baie, giving him 8lb here in December, is a quality piece of form. The handicapper couldn’t touch him for that, and as a result he absolutely dotted up here on New Year’s Day, the combination of a well-run race (that stopped him pulling) and a quality round of jumping enabling him to win nine lengths, strong up the hill. The handicapper has taken action but I’ve always maintained he’s a Graded horse and so even 154 should be workable.
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3:20 Cheltenham
Last year's winner, PROTEKTORAT, previously placed in a Gold Cup without looking like he really stayed the trip, looks the bet. Connections have been very bullish about his chances in recent days, Dan Skelton saying he’s his best chance on the week, and that’s in a stark contrast to last year when this entry was almost an afterthought as they believed he wasn’t good enough to win a Gold Cup anymore.
Back to his best at Windsor last time (when he looked superb pre-race) he looks rock-solid to run his race again and with a fair chance one of the front pair blows out (in our opinion) then he has the look of an each-way bet to nothing.
4:00 Cheltenham
For sheer consistency GOWEL ROAD could be the each-way bet.
Cheltenham is a second home to him, and he gained a deserved victory for that consistency in the Cleeve last time out. He ran Lucky Place to three-quarters of a length the time before and I’ve some doubts about Lucky Place staying the trip. It makes little sense that we can back Gowel Road at five times the price of Lucky Place this morning, and with four places on offer, that just looks too good to resist.
4:40 Cheltenham
I’m not entirely sure he’s in the right race - I thought the Novices Handicap might have been a better option - but wherever MASACCIO went this week I wanted to be with him.
I like his form this season. A good second to The Jukebox Man over this sort of trip at Newbury first time out is a quality effort, and although The Jukebox Man panned him at Kempton at Christmas, he patently failed to stay three miles that day, and the run is easy to forgive. Returned to this trip on Trials Day, he finished a 3¾ lengths third to Jagwar and Billytherealbigred; he meets Jagwar on 6lb better terms here and the cheekpieces are employed to help him travel into it better (was strong at the finish last time, but looked outpaced at one point). He looks to have been brought nicely to the boil and for all Jagwar might now be the finished article and the one to beat, Masaccio really ought not be far away.
5:20 Cheltenham
All week we've been keen to put up Midnight Our Fred for this, but not at the morning prices which are pretty much half of what they were after declarations.
He isn’t a clever selection by any means, but look how many boxes he ticks for this. Firstly, Cheltenham form, three runs at the track resulting in three second places, including a second to Mole Court in an amateurs event back here in 2023, narrowly failing to peg back the (then) improving winner on the run-in to the tune of half a length. Off the back of that he ran another solid race at the December meeting and came back again at the April two-dayer to run second to Hymac over 3m4f, the pair nicely clear of anything else. Those three efforts ranged on ground from good to soft, so whatever the elements may throw at him on Wednesday, he should handle with ease.
And the good form doesn’t stop there, either; this season, an easy 14-length win at Gowran Park on his seasonal debut was followed up by an excellent second in the big-field Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. See what I mean about him ticking every box? Cheltenham form, big-field form, stays well, goes well for an amateur? What’s not to like? Just the price, that's all. If he drifts back later on, I'll still play.
At the morning prices it's MINT BOY that looks the bet. He has the look of one who has definitely been laid out for this after just the four chase starts. Useful over hurdles, he made a solid start to his chasing career when third to Search For Glory and Sa Majeste at Gowran Park, and two quick runs in December (over shorter trips) looked nothing more than a means to an end in getting him a mark. A better effort at Punchestown last month when third to High Class Hero should have teed him up nicely for this, and he remains totally unexposed over fences. This stamina test looks sure to suit, and we can see him taking a big step forward form-wise here.
Published at 1000 GMT on 13/03/25
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