'Flying' Royal Kahala appearing to catch imagination in Stayers' Hurdle

Your one-stop shop for Cheltenham Festival news on Thursday

Top story: Royal winner?

Royal Kahala, a standout 9-1 on Wednesday with bet365 for Thursday's Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle () at the Cheltenham Festival, is 6-1 with that firm for the day-three feature.

The likeable Peter Fahey-trained mare won the Galmoy Hurdle last time and handles testing ground well, which perhaps explains her odds shortening.

The Stayers' Hurdle market is headed by the classy Klassical Dream at 4-1 and Flooring Porter, successful in it 12 months ago, is around 9-2 with Thyme Hill 5-1.

Royal Kahala: was an impressive winner of the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran ParkCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Champ is also in the mix, but Royal Kahala seems to have captured some imagination.

Betfred and BoyleSports had been 8-1 on Wednesday about her, but were into 5-1, although 11-2 is generally available elsewhere.

Fahey seems sweet and said: "Her last run was her best run and we know she finishes her races out really strongly and that she stays well.

"Everything has been geared towards Cheltenham this year and she's absolutely flying. We couldn't be happier with her and I wouldn't swap her for anything."

Galopin favoured in Turners clash

Thursday's bill at Cheltenham starts with the Turners Novices' Chase (), which has a field of just four, but the clash between Galopin Des Champs and Bob Olinger is one of the most anticipated of the festival – and it seems the former is being favoured.

Trained by Willie Mullins, who has his string in top order, Galopin Des Champs won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at this meeting 12 months ago and has been flawless over fences this term.

However, he was second favourite in places for the showdown on Wednesday with BoyleSports offering 5-4 and other layers around the 11-10 mark.

'It'll be some spectacle' – key quotes ahead of Bob Olinger v Galopin Des Champs

Ahead of him in the betting was Bob Olinger, who also struck at the festival last year when storming home in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

Like his big rival, he is unbeaten in two chasing appearances, but he drifted to 6-5 (from 11-10) with William Hill on Thursday morning with Galopin Des Champs now an odds-on shot at a general 10-11.

"In spite of the poor turnout, it should help us decide the most exciting novice chaser in training," Keith Melrose wrote in Thursday's Racing Post.

Love Envoi well backed to give Britain first mares' novice hurdle

Love Envoi has been well-supported from double-figure prices on Thursday morning to end to give Britain a landmark first success in the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle (4.50).

The Harry Fry-trained six-year-old has been the star in the division this season and took her unbeaten record to five when a determined winner of a Grade 2 at Sandown last month.

She rattled off her last three victories on heavy ground and with testing conditions in store, she has been backed into 6-1 (from 11) to end the Irish domination in the race, having only been won by Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead in its history.

The Mullins-trained Dinoblue is the 7-4 favourite, while his main jockey Paul Townend will now replace Patrick Mullins on Grangee following Brandy Love's withdrawal earlier this morning.

Posted at 11.50am

Non-runners: Henderson takes out four

The non-runners at Cheltenham on Thursday have started to mount up and Nicky Henderson, who blamed the conditions at the course for Shishkin's shock defeat in Wednesday's Champion Chase, is responsible for four of them.

He had been due to run Mister Fisher in the Ryanair Chase (2.50), but took him out because of the going which is soft, heavy in places.

The leading trainer, who is still set to run Champ in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (3.30), has withdrawn Pistol Whipped and Fusil Raffles from the Craft Irish Whiskey Co Plate Handicap Chase () and Janika from the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir () for the same reason.

Janika: a non-runner on ThursdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

That takes the total non-runners on Thursday's card to 16 and 13 of those are out because of the rain-softened ground.

They include Saint Calvados, who was taken out of the Ryanair on Wednesday night, meaning that field has been reduced to seven.

Brandy Love, a fancy for the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle (4.50), is also out due to lameness, while the Kim Bailey-trained Red Infantry has been taken out of the Kim Muir too.

2.10 4 Go Another One, 22 Didtheyleaveuoutto
2.50 7, Mister Fisher, 8 Saint Calvados
4.10 2 Simply The Betts, 3 Pistol Whipped, 5 Fusil Raffles, 12 Presentandcounting, 22 Guy
4.50 10, Brandy Love, 22 Walk In Clover
5.30 4 Janika 12 Lord Accord, 17 The Mighty Don, 19 Rocco, 24 Red Infantry

Updated at 11.50am

Market movers

2.10 Sire Du Berlais 5-1 (from 6), Ballyandy 14-1 (from 20)
3.30 Royal Kahala 11-2 (from 9)
4.50 Love Envoi 6-1 (from 11)

Posted at 9.24am

Going update: ground soft, heavy in places

The ground at Cheltenham, in focus on Wednesday after officials watered the previous night and then it rained relentlessly, has quickened to soft for the third day of the festival on Thursday, it has been announced on track.

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin and his team endured a difficult day two of the 2022 meeting on Wednesday as drying ground on Tuesday resulted in them watering the track ahead of the second day of racing.

However, 21mm of rain fell on Wednesday, which meant the day ended on heavy going with standing water on the track.

The first two days of Cheltenham this week took place on the Old course and the New course will host the final two days. That surface was described as soft, heavy in places on Thursday morning, but it has quickened with a dry day and highs of 12C forecast.

Conditions turned heavy after sustained rain at Cheltenham on WednesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls was frustrated by Wednesday's situation, but Pullin was hoping things would be more straightforward and said: "The New course is in fantastic shape and has taken the rain really well.

"We do race on the New course in December and January, but save a strip of ground on the inner for this week, so the inside half of the New course is fresh ground and hasn't been raced on since April."

Pullin, who is in charge of his first festival, added: "We're dry today with a bright morning. It might cloud over a little bit later on this afternoon, but temperatures will be around 11 or 12C and then tomorrow it's another dry day – bright and sunny with 14C.

Cheltenham Festival tips: one key runner from each ITV race on Thursday

"We'll have to see how much it dries today, but 21mm was substantial, so there's plenty of moisture in the track and it was about 7.30pm when the rain stopped."

The highlight on day three of the festival is the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (), while in the Grade 1 Rynair Chase (), last year's runaway winner and odds-on favourite Allaho could prove hard to beat once more.

Racing starts at with the four-runner Turners Novices' Chase, but two of the horses involved – Galopin Des Champs and Bob Olinger – could be among the most talented on show this week.

Updated at 11.50am

Thursday's Cheltenham Festival previews:

1.30 Cheltenham: 'It'll be some spectacle' – key quotes ahead of Bob Olinger v Galopin Des Champs

2.10 Cheltenham: 'A Grade 1 winner carrying 10st, it's up to him' – clues for the Pertemps Final

2.50 Cheltenham: 'Everybody is up against it' – is there any stopping Ryanair banker Allaho?

3.30 Cheltenham: Paisley Park 'likes to have a laugh' but can he produce another miracle?

4.10 Cheltenham: 'He looks to have been overlooked' – analysis and trainer quotes for the Plate

4.50 Cheltenham: Dinoblue heads seven runners for Willie Mullins in bid to resume normal service

5.30 Cheltenham: 'He's really turned the corner' – key quotes and insight for the Kim Muir

Sign up to William Hill here and get 30-1 on Allaho to win the Ryanair Chase for the second year in a row on Thursday of the festival. New customers using EPA30. Applies to bets placed from 09:00 8th March 2022 until 14:50 17th March 2022. Max £1 bet at 30-1. Returns paid as 2 x £15 free bets (30-day expiry). Player, currency restrictions and terms apply. 18+. begambleaware.org.