Cheltenham Day 3 Tips (Thursday 12 March 2026) cover St Patrick’s Thursday, a seven-race card packed with Grade 1 quality and the kind of handicaps that can turn a week on its head. With the Mares’ Hurdle now sitting on Thursday, it jostles for attention alongside the Stayers’ Hurdle and Ryanair Chase, and on paper the championship races look as strong as any day of the meeting.
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Cheltenham Festival 2026 Day 3 overview
Day 3 at a glance
- Date: Thursday 12 March 2026
- Nickname: St Patrick’s Thursday
- Races: 7
- Grade 1 focus: Mares’ Hurdle, Stayers’ Hurdle, Ryanair Chase
- Key narrative: Mares’ Hurdle now competes for attention with two other championship races
Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival lands on Thursday 12 March 2026, better known as St Patrick’s Thursday. It’s traditionally a day where the Festival energy lifts again and in 2026 the shape of the card adds extra spice, with the Mares’ Hurdle moved away from the opening day and into the heart of Thursday’s Grade 1 battle.
That shift means the Mares’ Hurdle now shares top billing with both the Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase. On paper, the Ryanair looks the deepest of the three in 2026, but the day has the feel of a proper championship triple-header and the handicaps are more than capable of producing headline stories of their own.
Cheltenham Day 3 best bets at a glance
- NAP: Teahupoo (15:20) – Win
- NB: Banbridge
- Best Each-Way: Matata (16:00)
- Best Value Bet: Ace of Spades (around 12/1)
- Most Likely Winner: Bambino Fever
St Patrick’s Thursday is shaping up to be one hell of a spectacle, with three Grade 1 races on show. Teahupoo stands out as the day’s NAP in the 15:20 Stayers’ Hurdle, with Banbridge nominated as the next best (NB) if conditions are on the kinder side.
For each-way punters, Matata in the 16:00 offers an attractive price and place prospects, while Ace of Spades is flagged as the best value bet of the day at around 12/1. Across the full card, Bambino Fever is described as the most likely winner a strong claim to open the day in style.
Cheltenham Day 3 2026 – race times and tips
| Time | Race | Selection | Bet type | Best UK odds | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:20 | Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle | Bambino Fever | Win | 5/4 (Sky Bet) | Willie Mullins |
| 14:10 | Limited Handicap Chase | Regents Stroll | E/W | 7/1 (BetVictor) | Paul Nicholls |
| 14:40 | The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle | Wodhooh | Win | 11/10 (Bet365) | Gordon Elliott |
| 15:20 | Stayers’ Hurdle | Teahupoo | Win | 2/1 (Sky Bet) | Gordon Elliott |
| 16:00 | The Ryanair Chase | Gaelic Warrior | Win | 9/4 | Willie Mullins |
| 16:40 | The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle | Ace of Spades | E/W | 12/1 (Virgin Bet) | Dan Skelton |
| 17:20 | Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase | Jeriko Du Reponet | Win | 4/1 (Paddy Power) | Nicky Henderson |
Cheltenham Day 3 Race-by-Race Tips & Predictions
13:20 – Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
Selection: Bambino Fever
Best UK Odds: 5/4 (Sky Bet)
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Jockey: TBC
Why we like this horse
Bambino Fever has a progressive profile that travels strongly through races and shapes like there’s more to come. If she brings her A-game, she looks the sort who can take control of the day early.
Irish-trained dangers Echoing Silence and Selma de Vary sit just below in the betting. Any tough British-trained runner could also come into the argument if the race turns into a proper scrap.
14:10 – Limited Handicap Chase
Selection: Regents Stroll
Best UK Odds: 7/1 (BetVictor)
Bet Type: Each-Way
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Jockey: TBC
Why we like this horse
Consistent and a sound jumper with experience of handling competitive fields. He has shown he can mix pace with stamina, which is often the winning combination in Festival handicaps.
Regents Stroll may try to lead from the front. That can work at Cheltenham, but it also invites pressure, and any rival able to control the tempo could disrupt the shape of the race.
14:40 – The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
The Mares’ Hurdle has established itself as the premier hurdle race for the top female performers since its introduction to the Festival in 2008, producing a string of memorable winners along the way. The roll of honour includes the extraordinary Quevega, who won the race six times, as well as Apple’s Jade and the two-time Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle.
This year’s renewal appears to be shaping up as a two-horse race following a pivotal trial at the Dublin Racing Festival, where Brighterdaysahead beat Lossiemouth with something to spare. That result looks likely to send the former towards the Champion Hurdle, leaving Lossiemouth to bid for a hat-trick in this race having won the two previous renewals.
Wodhooh will be among those standing in her way if she does take her place here, but few winners all week would be greeted with greater warmth than a third successive victory for Lossiemouth. There are, however, a few trends she will need to overcome, not least the fact that she is a Grade 1 winner heading into the race on the back of a defeat.
Selection: Wodhooh
Best UK Odds: 11/10 (Bet365)
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Gordon Elliott
Jockey: TBC
Why we like this horse
Unexposed, but with vast potential. She has shown real improvement and a sharp turn of foot in recent runs, suggesting she can cope when the race lifts in intensity.
Festival experience can be priceless. If battle-hardened mares turn this into a war from the top of the hill, Wodhooh will need to keep her composure and find again late on.
15:20 – Stayers’ Hurdle
Traditionally regarded as the third championship race of the week after the Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase, the Stayers’ Hurdle is a race with strong trends that tend to repeat themselves year after year.
This year’s renewal has a clear antepost favourite in Teahupoo, who is bidding to become the first horse since Inglis Drever to regain the Stayers’ Hurdle crown. He won the race in 2024 before finishing runner-up last year, and he arrives at Cheltenham with a lot of trends working in his favour, satisfying nearly all of the relevant markers bar one.
That one exception is his age, as he falls outside the six or seven-year-old bracket that trends would typically favour. Whether his supporters should be unduly concerned by that is another matter, given that Bob Olinger was ten years old when winning last year’s renewal and Sire Du Berlais was eleven when taking the race in 2023.
Selection: Teahupoo
Best UK Odds: 2/1 (Sky Bet)
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Gordon Elliott
Jockey: TBC
Why we like this horse
Teahupoo is established Grade 1 class: a relentless galloper proven at the top level. The famous Cheltenham hill should play to his strengths, turning the race into the stamina examination he relishes.
Main dangers
Now nine years old, he may face younger legs and improving stayers. Any rival who can dictate the tempo cleverly could also try to steal fractions and turn it tactical.
16:00 – The Ryanair Chase
First run in 2005, the Ryanair Chase has quickly cemented its place as one of the key races of the Cheltenham Festival, and this year it has been elevated to the feature race of the day slot at 16:00 for the first time. Pitched at 2m4f, it serves as the ideal Grade 1 contest for top-class chasers who may lack the speed for the Champion Chase or the stamina for the Gold Cup’s three-mile-plus trip.
Like the Gold Cup, forming a clear picture of the Ryanair at this stage is complicated by the number of horses holding entries in both races. The top two in the ante-post market, Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, both feature prominently in the Gold Cup betting, while the third favourite Jonbon is widely regarded as a two-mile specialist and has a modest record at Cheltenham.
It seems likely, though, that at least one of Gaelic Warrior or Fact To File will line up here, and should that prove to be the case, both horses satisfy every one of the strong 10-year trends for the race, not least their association with the all-conquering Willie Mullins stable.
Selection: Gaelic Warrior
Best UK Odds: 9/4
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Jockey: TBC
Why we like this horse
Versatility and tactical nous, with Cheltenham form already on the record after an Arkle win in 2024. He has also been remarkably consistent, finishing outside the top three only once in his last 20 completed outings.
Stablemate Fact To File is a major threat, while Jonbon also sits near the top of the conversation if he takes this route. This is a proper Ryanair on paper.
16:40 – The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
Selection: Ace of Spades
Best UK Odds: 12/1 (Virgin Bet)
Bet Type: Each-Way
Trainer: Dan Skelton
Jockey: TBC
Why we like this horse
Progressive type who travels well in big fields and looks a strong stayer for the race. He has already won at Cheltenham and Huntingdon in January and has improved since stepping up to three miles.
17:20 – Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
Selection: Jeriko Du Reponet
Best UK Odds: 4/1 (Paddy Power)
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Nicky Henderson
Jockey: TBC
Why we like this horse
Technically sound with the scope to deliver under pressure. Since dropping 3lb in his chase mark to 145 in late January, he has moved to the head of the Kim Muir market — a sign that others see the same opportunity.
Stronger stayers may come late, and ground conditions matter — he is thought to prefer yielding or better, which can shape how the race is ridden.
Cheltenham Day 3 Tips – FAQs
When is Cheltenham Festival Day 3 in 2026?
Day 3 is on Thursday 12 March 2026, also known as St Patrick’s Thursday.
What are the Grade 1 races on Day 3?
Day 3 features three Grade 1 races: the Mares’ Hurdle, the Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase.
What is the NAP for Cheltenham Day 3?
The NAP in this guide is Teahupoo in the 15:20 Stayers’ Hurdle.
What is the best value bet on Day 3?
Ace of Spades is flagged as the best value bet at around 12/1, with each-way appeal in the Pertemps Final.