Five horses to follow at Cheltenham on Thursday
By Alex Scott
Last Updated: Wed 11 Mar 2026
Dave Nevison, Andy Stephens, Harry Allwood, Alex Scott and Lydia Hislop share their best bets on day three of the Festival - with every race live, exclusively on Racing TV.
BAMBINO FEVER
Race: Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle (1.20).
Tipster: Andy Stephens.
Best odds: 11-10.
Fever Can Be Hot Stuff
MEETMEBYTHESEA
Race: Jack Richards Golden Miller Novices’ Handicap Chase (2.00).
Tipster: Lydia Hislop.
Best odds: 15-2.
I have a good ante-post position with MEETMEBYTHESEA (advised at 16-1) who will benefit from the step up in trip for the first time over fences. A neat jumper, he has amassed his handicap mark over two miles – including an uncompetitive foray into graded company behind Lulamba in the Game Spirit. Soon behind, you couldn’t see him from five out.
Although his progress has been on testing ground this season, last term’s evidence suggests he’s fully effective on good-to-soft ground; anything quicker would be an unknown. He has the potential to blossom as a smart handicapper at the very least next season.
With positively ridden quality rivals like Sixmilebridge and Wingmen among the opposition, there should be a sustained pace on which will help keen-going Regent’s Stroll. Former Supreme winner Slade Steel is a lurker, but I suspect he prefers deep ground.
Ben Solo looks overpriced after unseating when the likeliest winner of a competitive race at Chepstow at Christmas and benefits from the attentions of Brian Hughes. However, I chiefly fear the finishing kick of Jordans Cross if he’s on the premises turning for home.
KIKIJO
Race: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (4.40).
Tipster: Alex Scott.
Best odds: 16-1 (each-way).
Philip Hobbs and Johnson White have their string in good form and this progressive stayer looks overpriced at 16-1 after winning a strong qualifier at Sandown in December before being put away for this.
A course and distance winner already this season, the form of his latest win has worked out well and Callum Pritchard is excellent value for 3lb and is on board again.
Conditions should turn more testing on Thursday, but even if the forecast rain does not materialise, he has shaped with enough promise on good to soft ground. Having has just seven starts over obstacles, he is open to plenty of improvement and it is hard to know where the ceiling of this ability lies.
With many firms paying generous place markets in this, he looks a solid each-way play.
KABRAL DU MATHAN
Race: Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (4.00).
Tipster: Harry Allwood.
Best odds: 9-2.
Will he stay three miles? That is the million dollar question for Kabral Du Mathan who oozed class in the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham last time out, a performance which hinted he is potentially a top-class three-miler in the making.
Connections were quick to dismiss the Cheltenham Festival afterwards, with Dan Skelton explaining the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle may come a year too soon for his six-year-old who has never raced over three miles.
With the ground unlikely to be no worse than good to soft, he is now set to run, and he must be showing the right signs at home for connections to have a rethink.
The penultimate furlong he clocked (12.82s) in the Relkeel is the fastest penultimate furlong recorded at Cheltenham in RaceiQ's current database (from 2260 runners over hurdles and fences), so he clearly has a useful turn of foot, and his finishing efforts this season suggest three miles will be within reach. Skelton strongly believes that, too.
Although the selection raced a shade keenly last time out, he found plenty under pressure, and will be given a patient ride by Harry Skelton before pouncing late. The RaceiQ data also shows no other entry has a higher Career Jump Index score (8.1) than him.
With just eight starts under his belt, further progress may be on the horizon, and if he does stay this new trip, he is surely going to be a massive player, while his record following an absence of 85 days or more reads 1121, so arriving here fresh is not a concern.
I was lucky enough to attend Skelton's Cheltenham Festival media morning, hosted by The Jockey Club, in February, and I thought Kabral Du Mathan stood out from the crowd. Make of that what you will, but last year it was The New Lion!
JERIKO DU REPONET
Race: Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase (5.20).
Tipster: Dave Nevison.
Best odds: 10.
Jeriko Du Reponet returned to form at last year's Cheltenham Festival when second in the Pertemps, and then went on to reverse the form with the winner when scoring at Punchestown.
Those good runs coincided with the application of cheekpieces and, rather significantly, the headgear is applied for the first time this season here.
He hasn't been given the hardest time this season, most notably at Windsor on his latest start, and this is sure to have been his long-term aim.
Although he has top weight in this historic race, he could well prove to still be favourably treated, and the booking of Derek O’Connor is a positive.
RaceiQ Cheltenham Festival clues
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