Cheltenham Day 3 Lucky 15 Tips: JP can bag big handicap

Day 3 action beckons at the Festival, the highlight of which is the Stayers' Hurdle, but fellow Grade 1 contests the Turners Novices' Chase, and the Ryanair, add fantastic sparkle. Unwelcome drama yesterday, losing the X-Country given the waterlogged state of the ground on that part of Prestbury Park, and we could certainly do with a bit of luck with the weather for the rest of the meeting.

Let's accentuate the positive and reflect upon the brilliant performances we're enjoying, as we offer up our Cheltenham Day 3 Lucky 15 tips. Cracking 6/1 winner on Tuesday (Lark In The Mornin, returned at 9/1), and two of the remaining three came second.

13.30 Cheltenham - Grey Dawning @ 5/2

Jockey Harry Skelton struck at Sandown last Saturday, and was denied only by a whisker in the Imperial Cup. Asked if the yard had many bright chances for the Cheltenham Festival his face lit up, and I detected a certain air of 'anticipation,' shall we call it.

I'm hoping Grey Dawning, a gelded seven-year-old son of Flemensfirth and trained of course by brother Dan, was in his thoughts at the time.

61 days ago he took a Grade 2 at Warwick, a superb warm-up test for this course, by a yawning 14l. Three miles on that occasion, but the half-mile step down in this testing ground is probably perfect.

It was a procession last time, but an ideal tune-up for this much stiffer test. He ran exceptionally well here in December, going down by less than a length, and had won at Haydock prior to that.

All are big, left-handed examinations, and he does have a tendency to pop out to his left at the odd fence. I've a notion connections have had this in mind for Grey Dawning for quite some time, and granted luck in running will, for me, be very hard to beat.

He was a talented 141-rated hurdler but is already a considerably better chaser.

14.10 Cheltenham - Icare Allen @ 9/1

We're paying six places each-way, and it's to ultra-powerful connections I'm turning with Icare Allen. Trained by Willie Mullins, owned by JP McManus, with JP's regular pilot Mark Walsh in the plate.

Very lightly-raced of late, he qualified for this by placing at Aintree in November, and this has surely been the plan all season. Was beaten out of sight in last term's Coral Cup here but for me is a far better performer now than then.

I think there's more to come from this six-year-old and he's unexposed at this kind of trip, looking to stay perfectly well on Merseyside and travelled particularly cosily that day.

14.50 Cheltenham - Banbridge @ 5/1

Trainer Joseph O'Brien did us a wonderful turn on opening day with 9/1 winner Lark In The Mornin, and he saddles Banbridge here in the Ryanair.

By Doyen, himself a son of the fabled Sadler's Wells, cut in the ground should pose few problems, though there's an apparent stated preference for good to soft. Good luck with that this week.

His form seems to me to have taken a definite upturn of late, securing a prestigious Grade 2 chase at Kempton in January coming off a 275-day break. He's won here before both over hurdles and fences, and has scored previously on soft and yielding.

Could be that he's now at the peak of his powers as an eight-year-old, and that's certainly my hope. The stable, as we know, are in excellent fettle.

16.10 Cheltenham - Arctic Bresil @ 14/1

Five places each-way for this one, and a selection representing the mighty axis of trainer Henry de Bromhead and jockey Rachael Blackmore.

The pair have struck already, and field a seven-year-old who is creeping along steadily in his career. Two decent point starts, then an easy maiden hurdle win on Rules debut.

Arctic Bresil came to contest Sandown's Tolworth and bombed, ran better at the Punchestown Festival, and was then sent chasing on seasonal reappearance in December last.

Three respectable beginners/novice heats between then and now, and tackles this Class 1 Premier Handicap with 10st 11lb.

I'm prepared to accept that connections wouldn't be here if they didn't rate their prospects, and a very bold show could be on the cards - fingers crossed.

If you're playing today, have fun, and good luck.

Cheltenham lends itself beautifully in my eyes to creating an each-way Lucky 15 - white-hot competition, and often some additional places on offer. If you can improve upon my selections (of course you can), then go for it!

The odds can fluctuate between publishing our pieces and race-time. As a guide, a £0.25p each-way Lucky 15 on today's selections, at the prices, and assuming all four won, would return around £1400 for your total £7.50 stake.

Fred, 'The Bonus King,' invented the 'Lucky' series of bets and their bonuses. My colleague Adam has set out all you need to know with this handy guide - take a look by clicking here.

Cheltenham tips from Betfred Insights.