Cheltenham Festival tips: Thursday's best bets from Racing Post experts

Day three of the Cheltenham Festival is upon us – but who do our top tipsters fancy most?

Sire Du Berlais

By Tom Segal

Race: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (2.10)

Odds: 9-2

If you take his good claiming jockey's 7lb claim into account, Sire Du Berlais can race off a 3lb lower mark than when he won the race in 2020, and this race has clearly been his target all season long.

He won't mind what the ground is, and while Winter Fog and Alaphilippe have both clearly been trained for this race all season long and could have lots in hand from the handicapper, they have nothing like the resume of Sire Du Berlais.

Galopin Des Champs

By Paul Kealy

Race: Turners Novices' Chase (1.30)

Odds: Evens

The big match of the meeting can go to Galopin Des Champs, who strikes me as being by far the better jumper of the two and has much more pace then he is given credit for.

Bob Olinger looked great when winning the Ballymore last season, but I think he has to put a lot of effort into jumping fences and that may take its toll in the long.

Royal Kahala

By Brian Sheerin

Race: Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (3.30)

Odds: 6-1

Fahey must have been pinching himself when he saw the skies open on Wednesday and the likely soft ground will make Royal Kahala a major player in the Stayers' Hurdle.

Royal Kahala could be underestimated for beating a below-par Klassical Dream in the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park last month, but that was a career-best from Fahey's mare and is arguably some of the best form on show here.

Alaphilippe

By Robbie Wilders

Race: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (2.10)

Odds: 11-2

The recent Irish dominance in the Pertemps Final is expected to end with Alaphilippe, who is surely well handicapped off a mark of 138, one 2lb lower than when he qualified for this. He tanked through that Warwick race and looked the likeliest winner jumping the last but faded into fifth.

A 14-length winner of the same Grade 2 Hillcrest landed recently just three starts back, Alaphilippe was entered in the Stayers' Hurdle earlier this season but taking the handicap route looks the wise decision.

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