Cheltenham Festival: Fact To File flourishes, Bob Olinger lands Stayers' Hurdle gamble and false start debate rages - relive day three's action

Mark Walsh can look behind him as Fact To File scoots up the Cheltenham hill in the Ryanair ChaseCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

It's been another helter-skelter of a day at the controls of the live blog. 

Today provided a reminder of two things: the might of the De Bromhead and Blackmore axis and Fact To File's frightening ability. Both the Stayers' Hurdle and Ryanair Chase were events to savour for totally different reasons. 

There's just one day left of Cheltenham magic for this year. Will Galopin Des Champs be able to make history in the Gold Cup? Stay tuned to tomorrow's live blog to find out. Sam Henry and Matt Rennie will be at the helm from 8am.

As always, stay in touch via liveblog@racingpost.com with your thoughts, fancies and commentary. 

Have a great evening.

Ian and Graham Kerr from Liverpool

Our own David Jennings joined punters in the Cheltenham Festival betting ring and found them rejoicing.

After all, the McManus colour bearer Jagwar had just extracted several from a 'massive hole'.

Get the full story here

The Cheltenham Festival is the ultimate betting event and understanding how best to take advantage of the plethora of bookmaker offers available is crucial for punters seeking an edge. In this race-by-race guide to the best day-four offers, RP Recommends' Tom Park provides a comprehensive overview of the market . . .

Racing Post's race-by-race guide to the best bookmaker offers on day four of the Cheltenham Festival

Top juveniles Lulamba (left) and East India Dock clash in Friday's opener

The time has come to pick a side as Lulamba and East India Dock clash in the JCB Triumph Hurdle after weeks of heated debate.

On one side there is Lulamba, the scopey French import who sauntered to victory on his only start in Britain for the Triumph Hurdle’s most successful trainer, Nicky Henderson. On the other side there is East India Dock, a steadily progressive three-year-old on the Flat last year who has taken off over hurdles and is unbeaten in three outings for his upwardly mobile trainer James Owen.

Read our Raceday Intel for tomorrow's Triumph and let us know who you favour and why at liveblog@racingpost.com 

We asked eight top judges to give their view on Galopin Des Champs' chances of a historic third Gold Cup . . .

Henrietta Knight hopes Galopin Des Champs can emulate her great starCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Henrietta Knight was the last person to saddle a triple Gold Cup winner:

"I've always loved Galopin Des Champs. You have to have a lot of luck on your side that horses will come back year after year. Best Mate was a very easy horse to train in that way and we had a pattern with him, giving him a big break before the Gold Cup, and Willie Mullins did a similar thing with Al Boum Photo, but he's done it completely differently this time round."

Read the opinions of the rest of the great eight here

Paul Kealy has let rip on the start debate. 

He said: "Race after race after race is being ruined at the start and it's pointless.

Primoz was terrible as he virtually bolted the first time and he wanted to be at the front and he ended up being last. I did get on the right side of it with Myretown, but you shouldn't have to say I got on the right or wrong side of it - it just shouldn't happen. 

If they want them to stand in a bloody line, why don't they put some bloody stalls in? They don't bloody need it. They don't have to line up right next to each other everybody in line. Just let them trot in. I don't get it, I really don't."

Watch In The Know LIVE now!

Crowds at Cheltenham were marginally down on ThursdayCredit: Patrick McCann

53,366 - down from 53,918 last year

Bob Olinger, pictured winning the Turners Novices' Hurdle, landed the Stayers' this afternoonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Andy Duffin has been in touch. He said: "What a performance from the old boy Bob Olinger. He was one of my first antepost bets at the start of the season at 50-1 for the Stayers'  Hurdle.A wonderful day!"

Well done, Andy. That's some shout. I couldn't have Bob Olinger today but, as he has done many times before, he silenced the doubters with an electric performance. And, who is to say he won't do it again next year?

I don't think you'll be getting any 50-1, though!

Tom Segal: waxed lyrical about Fact To File on In The KnowCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I thought he was one of the most impressive winners, and that's twice now. On Wednesday last year I texted one of my mates saying 'that Fact To File is an absolute weapon, one of the best horses I've ever seen'.

"I've been really disappointed in every run since and then today I'm back in that same camp. I thought he was ridiculously good. As good as any horse I've seen this week, or this year, and I think he'd win any race he ran in next year: the Champion Chase, Ryanair or the Gold Cup.

"He was spectacular – horses just don't do that. The time was ridiculous, everything was ridiculous about how good he was."

Top tipsters Tom Segal and Paul Kealy have enjoyed a fantastic Cheltenham Festival so far and the pair have joined Ross Brierley for tonight's instalment of In The Know. 

David Elsworth admires the trophy he received for training Desert Orchid to win the 1989 Cheltenham Gold CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

From Catherine Macrae

David Elsworth reminisces on some Gold Cup memories as Galopin Des Champs bids for a famous hat-trick in the race on Friday.

"The first Gold Cup I saw was Gay Donald make all in 1955, but I wasn't aware of the importance the race had," the former trainer said. "I had nothing to do with the sport at the time, but though it started as a Grand National trial in the 50s the race was becoming a major event. 

"I do remember the most exciting Gold Cup I ever saw, which was the year Denman beat Kauto Star. Hypothetically if you could put all the Gold Cup winners together and run the race, possibly Denman would come out in front. The year he won it was just a magnificent performance. It seems a bit unfair to compare them really, and of course Kauto Star came back and won again, but Denman's win was something special. 

"I have to mention Desert Orchid of course. He had a strong bias, he was much better off going right-handed, but he turned up at every Cheltenham and was second in a Champion Chase and third in two Gold Cups, as well as winning it in 1989. 

"We weren't wrapping him in cotton wool, he went there over all sorts of distances and acquitted himself very well. He did find it more difficult to win at Cheltenham, and when he finally won it wasn't a vintage Gold Cup, but he still had to go and do it. He deserved that win."

Harry Cobden: will ride Too Bossy For Us for Willie Mullins in Friday's Triumph HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann

A penny for Paul Nicholls's thoughts at Harry Cobden having his first ride for Willie Mullins in tomorrow's Triumph Hurdle (1.20). 

The jockey rides the hurdling debutant Too Bossy For Us, who has been gelded and sent across the Irish sea since finishing fourth in a 1m6f handicap at Haydock in September. He was previously with Kevin Philippart de Foy.

Cobden gave Caldwell Potter an excellent front-running ride to land the Jack Richards today and will be hunting down another success. His mount can be backed at 66-1 to cause a massive upset.

Dark skies lingered over Cheltenham during racing on ThursdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

From Jonathan Harding at Cheltenham

Cheltenham clerk of the course Jon Pullin on the ground: "We're going to leave the ground as it is, so good to soft. We've got frost forecast tonight with temperatures looking like they'll dip below freezing at around midnight for a few hours. 

"The ground temperature may be a degree or so colder than the air temperature, possibly -2C or -3C. Temperatures warm up fairly quickly in the morning so hopefully by 8am we'll be positive temperatures before hopefully rising to 3C or 4C by 9am. 

"We're happy with the ground as it's been for the first three days and don't envisage anything different for tomorrow."

Monty's Star: well supported for the Gold Cup on ThursdayCredit: Patrick McCann

Well, Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead were back at the forefront of today's coverage and they combine in tomorrow's Gold Cup with Monty's Star.

He is single figures in some places now having been 14-1 earlier today. In contrast, the second favourite Banbridge has been weak. 

The momentum in the market is clearly pointing towards a big run from Monty's Star, whose owner Barry Maloney caused a minor upset when winning with the De Bromhead-trained Minella Indo in 2021. The trainer and Blackmore struck the following year with A Plus Tard. 

Monty's Star's form received a significant boost earlier when his Brown Advisory conqueror Fact To File ran away with the Ryanair Chase.

Will he be the biggest threat to Galopin Des Champs? He could only manage fifth to him in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.

The scene at Cheltenham on ThursdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

• Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead starred with Air Of Entitlement and Bob Olinger, who rolled back the years to land the Stayers' Hurdle
• The €740,000 purchase Caldwell Potter gave Paul Nicholls his 50th Cheltenham Festival winner in the Jack Richards
• Brian Hughes delivered on a rare festival ride when Doddiethegreat landed another poignant win in the Pertemps, with Nicky Henderson saddling the 1-2
• Fact To File blew his rivals away with a foot-perfect win in the Ryanair Chase, prompting questions about whether he should have run in the Gold Cup
• The well-supported Jagwar gave Jonjo O'Neill jnr his second festival winner with an easy victory in the Plate
• Johnnywho looked to have the Kim Muir in the bag at the final fence but could not resist the late charge of Daily Present

Daily Present: won the Kim MuirCredit: Patrick McCann

What an incredibly gutsy performance from Daily Present, who reeled in Johnnywho after the final fence.

He was only fifth to another JP McManus hotpot in Inothewayurthinkin last year but enjoyed his shining moment this year.

Paul Nolan, whose Conyers Hill and Feet Of A Dancer both ran brave races at this year's festival, was celebrating another big winner.

Fergal O'Brien: runs Manothepeople in the Kim MuirCredit: Edward Whitaker

Manothepeople is a big price in the Kim Muir but Fergal O'Brien is hopeful he can outrun his odds.

O'Brien said: "I'm really looking forward to running him. He was Paddy Brennan's last ride and winner at the course last April and we've a top amateur [Gina Andrews] booked."

Read all the trainer views on the Kim Muir here.

Manothepeople17:20 Cheltenham

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Jky: Miss Gina Andrews Tnr: Fergal O'Brien

Graeme Rodway, Keith Melrose and Robbie Wilders collaborate to find the best bet of the day at Cheltenham. Here they outline their collective thinking for the finale . . .

Keith Melrose I've got a half-decent ante-post position on Johnnywho, so the bet on the day for me is definitely Git Maker each-way. He was slow to get going this season, which is why I didn't fancy him at Haydock, and they've probably saved him for the spring. Take Inothewayurthinkin out of last year's race and Git Maker wins by 18 lengths. 

Graeme Rodway: My stronger views on the day come over hurdles and I prefer the class angles towards the top of the weights in the Golden Miller. The two who I like in the Kim Muir are Music Of Tara and Git Maker, so would be happy to row in on the latter.

Robbie Wilders: Nobody calls it the Golden Miller anymore, fellas. Both showing your age. But yeah let’s have a bit of that Git Maker shout in the Kim Muir. I initially wondered if he might want it a bit softer, but I’m not sure there’s anything in that. He needs to be on anyone’s shortlist on that form with Inothewayurthinkin. That’s a Gold Cup horse and we haven’t got one in this season’s running. 

Git Maker17:20 Cheltenham

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Jky: Mr William Biddick Tnr: Jamie Snowden

The scene at Cheltenham when Jagwar won on Trials' dayCredit: Edward Whitaker

By betting editor Keith Melrose 

After the novice chases at Cheltenham this week, the belt is still vacant for a champion in the division. Don't rule out Jagwar yet for those honours. He's won the Plate despite losing his confidence at the fences when getting crowded mid-race. Surely it's the Manifesto next for him?

And with him winning and Masaccio finishing third, it's yet another big result for the novices' handicap chase on Trials day. Please, please, please ITV, show the race live in 2026!