Cheltenham Tips: Paddy Power’s Epic Thursday Cheat Sheet for day 3 of the 2025 Festival

Paul Townend has gone for Aurora Vega over Maughreen, probably because she has more racing experience. I like AIR OF ENTITLEMENT each-way for Henry de Bromhead.

Gavin Cromwell’s SIXANDAHALF looks the most solid option and the one to beat.

I’ll be riding JUBILEE ALPHA and she’s my best ride of the week. She jumped brilliantly in schooling and going left handed is perfect for her.

MAUGHREEN has a huge engine and a lot of talent but it will be difficult to step into a 24-runner race on the back of just one hurdle run. I think she’ll run very well.

SIXANDAHALF should take some beating and while she lacks a load of hurdling runs she could just be far too good for this field.

The class horse, if the penalty doesn’t stop him, is ANSWER TO KAYF and I like SAN SALVADOR each-way at a price.

ASIAN MASTER has some smart form in graded races and doesn’t look too badly handicapped on those runs.

CALDWELL POTTER has a very workable handicap mark of 146. He could be our dark horse for the Festival but the softer the ground the better his chance.

ANSWER TO KAYF has been brought along lovely over fences this season. He won a handicap chase at Naas in January when last seen and John Shinnick rides again. He has a fantastic chance.

CALDWELL POTTER has been mocked by many this season having cost €740,000. He’s got a tasty handicap mark of 146 for a Grade 1-winning hurdler and he had no problem with yielding ground in his bumper days.

I like one at a good price. KARL DE TOURELLES is only a five-year-old but that age group are pretty well handicapped. He has a lot of weight but his mark of 139 might be workable.

Putting the cheekpieces on JERIKO DU REPONET is a very good idea and his handicap mark of 135 is workable. Hopefully the headgear sharpens him up.

HENRI THE SECOND (each-way) is not well handicapped against some of these but is consistent and could sneak a place.

FEET OF A DANCER has had a similar prep to Mrs Milner who won this for Paul Nolan in 2021. This looks like it has been the plan for a while.

ONE BIG BANG might well be too high in the handicap now having gone up 7lb for a victory at Haydock. However, he stays strongly and will enjoy running at a furious pace. He’s got an each-way chance.

Fact To File will be the hardest to beat but his price is plenty short now. I’ve thought for a long time JUNGLE BOOGIE is the each-way nap.

Protektorat would be a big player, but drying ground won’t help his cause. There’s no getting away from FACT TO FILE who will be hard to beat.

IL EST FRANCAIS can get the better of Fact To File if he turns up and is fit and well. He’ll love the ground and I don’t think the track will bother his running style as much as people make out.

FACT TO FILE wants good ground and a strong pace to aim at to produce his best and with Il Est Francais in the line-up, he gets exactly that.

PROTEKTORAT did this column a great favour last year and I’ll be on him again each-way for trainer Dan and jockey Harry Skelton.

I’m not TEAHUPOO’s biggest fan, but I’ve looked this race up and down for six weeks and I can’t find a horse to oppose him.

It could be a funny race pace-wise and for that reason I’ll go for THE WALLPARK  (each-way) as you know he’ll be coming home hard over this 3m trip.

My intended mount Monmiral was a late non runner which is a shame.  TEAHUPOO will be hard to beat.

TEAHUPOO is the reigning champ and his form at the top table should stand to him as he looks head and shoulders above the rest and should be winning this.

In a light career, LUCKY PLACE (each-way) has never gone 3m before but if he gets the trip he could easily  improve by bundles.

GINNY’S DESTINY races close to the pace and that will suit the make-up of this race. He’s come down enough in the weights and he was bordering on a Graded horse last year.

MASACCIO looks a solid each-way play based on his third to the re-opposing Jagwar over course and distance in January.

GINNY’S DESTINY seems to have a little bit of his ‘zip’ back. He’s won over course and distance which is a big positive and might get a few of these out of their comfort zone.

THECOMPANYSERGEANT sticks out like a sore thumb to me in the 2m 4f Plate Handicap Chase as his trainer has a fantastic record with horses of this profile.

JAGWAR is edging up the weights but has obvious claims here as an improver. He scored in a big field at Bangor back in November so should be able to cope with the hustle and bustle of this race.

Sa Majeste was a lucky winner last time out. WALKING ON AIR looked unlucky to me at Doncaster as he fell at the last when he was going to win.

MIDNIGHT OUR FRED was second in the Paddy Power Chase at Christmas when last seen and that’s a nice bit of form to bring into this contest. He’s only 4lb higher now and is definitely a player.

Gelino Bello is high-class but may be better on a right-handed track. It’s an amateur riders’ race so I’ll be watching on to see how JOHNNYWHO gets on as he’s my nap of the meeting. He’s got plenty of class and he has a huge chance as trainer Jonjo O’Neill will send him here raring to go.

I ride Sa Majeste but the one that catches my eye is MIDNIGHT OUR FRED who has a nice, light weight and ran a great race when second in the Paddy Power Chase over Christmas.

MIDNIGHT OUR FRED (each-way) stays well and is improving at the age of eight. A mark of 132 is tough but he’s got credentials on his form to date.