The first of the seven races scheduled for Day 3 is at 00:20 AEDT, with it being the Mares' Novices' Hurdle. The Stayers' Hurdle is another top race that attracts plenty of attention due to the elite thoroughbreds involved, while the feature race at 03:00 AEDT is the Ryanair Chase.

The schedule is as follows:

• Mares' Novices' Hurdle (00:20 AEDT)
• Jack Richards Novices' Chase (01:00 AEDT)
• Mares Hurdle (01:40 AEDT)
• Stayers' Hurdle (02:20 AEDT)
• Ryanair Chase (03:00 AEDT)
• Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (03:40 AEDT)
• Kim Muir Handicap Chase (04:20 AEDT)

Quick Picks

Our pick: Fact to File to win the Ryanair Chase

Value bet: Each-Way on Teahupoo in the Stayers' Hurdle

Long shot: Each-Way on Heart Wood in the Ryanair Chase

Betting Preview

St. Patrick's Thursday offers plenty of betting value to explore for punters, with the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle the two main races attracting bettors. This is because they both feature champion horses in highly competitive fields. If you're new to the sport, our guide to betting on horse racing can help you get started.

With 13 runners and 12 jumps, the Stayers' Hurdle is a Grade 1 race over three miles. This year's race will feature many top horses, including Teahupoo, Honesty Policy, Bob Olinger, Ballyburn, Hewick, and Kabral Du Mathan.

The Ryanair Chase will also feature top horses, with 14 runners taking on 22 hurdles in ground that is thought to be Good to Soft (although this can change). Fact To File appears to be heading for this race, having been omitted from the Gold Cup race. Heart Wood, Banbridge, and Energumene could all feature in this one.

Betting Markets to Watch

With the challenging nature of the Cheltenham Festival and its jumps, each-way bets can often provide value to bettors in a safer manner than outright bets. Check the latest Cheltenham Festival odds to see the current market.

In the Stayers' Hurdle, Teahupoo is the favourite. A strong runner and jumper, Teahupoo offers good value to explore in this race, having won their last three races. However, Kabral Du Mathan offers value for an each-way bet. They have won their last two races, one of which happened on the New Course at Cheltenham in January.

In the Ryanair Chase, Fact To File is the strong favourite and has been strong at Cheltenham. In last year's Ryanair Chase, he won by 9 lengths. In his most recent run (Leopardstown), he beat Gaelic Warrior by 5 lengths.

Our Prediction

Check the latest Cheltenham Festival betting odds at Sportsbet.

We think Fact to File is the most likely to win the Ryanair Chase, but with 3 places being paid out at Sportsbet for an each-way bet, we think Heart Wood offers good value. Heart Wood finished second in this race last year, and his odds appear to be inflated a little after two first-placed finishes in three races this season.

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