Simon Holt Cheltenham day three tips: Sceaux simple!

Recommended bets: Cheltenham Festival day three

2pts win Un De Sceaux 2.50 Cheltenham at best-morning price

1pt win Jezki 3.30 Cheltenham at best-morning price

1pt e.w Potters Legend 5.30 Cheltenham at best-morning price

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GROUND conditions could play a part in the outcome of the two feature races at Cheltenham on Thursday as Un De Sceaux and Unowhatimeanharry, warm favourites for the Ryanair Chase and Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle respectively, are probably best on soft ground.

Quickish conditions are possibly not ideal for the former, though a step up to two miles and five furlongs in the Ryanair may well help offset that possible inconvenience to UN DE SCEAUX who won the Arkle here in 2015 before chasing home Sprinter Sacre in last year's Champion Chase.

Willie Mullins' admirably smart and genuine performer has done all his winning on good-to-soft ground or softer whereas Uxizandre, who chased him home on soft going in the two-mile Clarence House Chase here in January, has solid form on a faster surface including when winning this race under A P McCoy in 2015.

However, the latter still has five lengths to find and Un De Sceaux proved he stayed this far when winning over hurdles at Auteuil last May.

Whether Uxizandre can reproduce his comeback effort after a near two-year absence must also be a question and Empire Of Dirt could emerge as a bigger danger.

Successful over this course and distance in handicap company last year, the late-blooming ten-year-old has improved again this season, winning the Troytown Chase at Navan in November before posting a career-best performance in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown where he went down by three-quarters of a length to Sizing John.

After that effort, Friday's Gold Cup was definitely an option for Empire Of Dirt but connections favour this shorter test.

For many, Unowhatimeanharry is the banker bet of the Festival and, on soft ground, he would be nearly impossible to beat in the Sun Bets Stayers Hurdle.

However, whiile successful on good ground at this meeting in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle last year, it was arguably his least impressive performance and certainly some way short of high-level victories this term at Newbury, Ascot and on the New Course here in January.

Perhaps this is nit-picking; on that latest outing, Unowhatimeanharry gave Cole Harden, the 2015 winner of this race in its incarnation as the World Hurdle, a near two length beating conceding 8lb.

At level weights, one would expect him to confirm the form except that drier conditions will really suit the back-to-form runner-up.

However, a bigger danger may lurk in the form of JEZKI, the winner of the Champion Hurdle here in 2014 who returned from an absence to win at Navan in January only to be beaten at odds-on subsequently by Tombstone at Gowran Park.

That last run can probably be forgiven on account of heavy ground and, in any case, Jessica Harrington's gelding may need much further than two miles nowadays.

In the spring of 2015, after beating Rock On Ruby in the Aintree Hurdle (2m4f), Jezki lowered the colours of none other than Hurricane Fly over three miles at Punchestown and, if he can run somewhere near that form here, his odds could prove good value.

The day begins with the JLT Novices' Chase in which last year's Neptune winner Yorkhill, albeit at a short price, is fancied to follow up at the likely expense of Top Notch, Politologue and fellow Irish challenger Disko.

The selection's jumping over fences has been the subject of some concern but his tendency to go left won't be so disadvantageous on this course and, in a schooling gallop at Leopardstown recently, he warmed to his task and finished hard on the bridle.

Yorkhill is a hugely talented horse - he wouldn't have been out of place in Tuesday's Champion Hurdle - and may have just too much power for the diminutive but exceptionally tough Top Notch who has rattled up a four-timer this season.

Politologue is also a very fine prospect but his free-going style may not be ideal on this course where he was well beaten in last year's Coral Cup.

In the closing Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, POTTERS LEGEND can gain reward for some consistent efforts this season.

A creditable third behind Ballyoptic and Belshill over hurdles at Aintree last spring, this tough seven-year-old won his first two chases and was staying on well over two-and-a-half miles here in late January when chasing Royal Vacation up the hill.

A step back up in distance should suit Potters Legend well and he looks a solid each-way play.

Preview posted at 1110 on 15/03/2017