Cheltenham Day 3 tips: Handicaps There’s no fewer than four handicaps on Thursday’s card including a typically competitive renewal of the Pertempts Network Final at 2.40. We have value selections and analysis for all four of the handicap races on Thursday including a last-time-out winner that looks capable of another big performance. Get €30 in FREE BETS with bet365 2.00 Cheltenham - 2m. 4f. 127yds. (New) Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) (Class 1) (5yo+) This can go the way of Firefox, who could be chucked in from a mark of 150. He’s shown he has Grade 1 ability over both hurdles and fences in his career so far and he wasn’t disgraced behind Majborough last time out. There’s a suspicion that the British handicapper has underestimated that form, giving him just 1lb more than his Irish counterpart and he ran a cracker on his sole outing at Cheltenham when hitting the frame in last year’s Supreme. He should probably be the outright favourite for this race and makes plenty of appeal each-way. Selection: Firefox 2.40 Cheltenham - 3m (New) Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Class 1) (5yo+) Harbour Lake is a really consistent sort who arrives in good form and this son of Shantou has some eyecatching course form in the book, including a narrow defeat over this course and distance last April. He was only narrowly denied in the qualifier for this race at Market Rasen and getting back on quicker ground won’t bother him. There might be a couple on better marks for this contest but his consistency gives him a strong shout of being in the first four. Selection: Harbour Lake 4.40 Cheltenham - 2m. 4f. 127yds. (New) TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Class 1) (5yo+) Conflated has had some tough tasks in Grade 1 company this season but there are a few reasons to think he can go well back in handicap company. Firstly, he’s come all the way down to a mark of 154 so there’s no doubting that he’s well handicapped on old form and he showed he still had plenty of ability last season when runner-up to Jonbon at Aintree. A stiff 2m4f which he’ll get here is probably his ideal distance and he has good ground form too, so he’s another selection that may have been underestimated from an each-way perspective. Selection: Conflated 5.20 Cheltenham - 3m2f (New) Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+ 0-145) A case can be made for plenty of these in what looks like a competitive finale to day three but one that appeals at a double figure price is Yeah Man. He was sent off a warm favourite at Haydock last time before making an uncharacteristic error and coming down early, but he’s been forgotten about in the market as a result and he’s one of the few runners in this field that is going to relish conditions. His Troytown third from earlier in the season suggests this sort of mark is still workable and Gavin Cromwell’s horses have been running well here this week. Selection: Yeah Man Get €30 in FREE BETS with the bet365 sign up offer:
