Cheltenham 2025 Day 3: Best Lucky 15 Tips for St Patrick’s Thursday

I hope everyone is enjoying the festival, there's been a few shock results but plenty of strong fancies have gone in so hopefully you're doing well enough.

I've put together an each-way Lucky 15 for Day 3 with a few open-looking races to hopefully capitalise on. I'm hoping for an uptick in form from the Paul Nicholls yard while sticking with the two Irish juggernauts elsewhere.

Attacanter Racing Tips

Caldwell Potter 9/1 five places – 14.00 Cheltenham

It may be the St Patrick's themed day at Cheltenham, and the Irish have as usual been leading the way, but it is with the almost forgotten man this week Paul Nicholls in which I am going to throw my name on in the Jack Richards Novices Grade 2.

Caldwell Potter had a spectacular start to hurdling with Gordon Elliot, only losing to one rival in three races, on debut in a 22-runner affair – so we know he'll handle any hustle and bustle. The horse has since been purchased by the same connections as Protektorat and would be the 2nd horse to leave this trainer/owner and go on to have success at the festival, the other being Jazzy Matty.

The horse contested a Grade 2 last time, which hits a trend stat. He contests today's C&D on his second Chase start when third, 5 lengths behind Springwell Bay. We only get 5lbs, but that race would have only been a learning experience. He's a nice enough price and can get us off to a good start.

Patter Merchant 14/1 six places- 14.40 Cheltenham

The Pertemps Network Final looks as competitive as ever, there have been four winners since Gordon Elliot won it three times in succession. Paul Nicholls, who I've touted above, had the 25/1 winner last year, the second 25/1 winner since 2022. With Elliot having plenty place so far, I think he is a good place to be in this race – 9 of his 21 entries have finished five or better since 2017.

Jack Kennedy was stood down yesterday but should hopefully be okay for today, with Elliot only having two runners, I will stick with his selection; his stablemate was a length in front when they both qualified for the race but that counts for little. This Walk In The Park gelding has some very sound relations; he opened his account over hurdles in Galway over 2m5f in October last year. He's only a six-year-old contesting just his 3rd race of 3 miles, but a chance is taken that the yard will have a good day in the staying division with Teahupoo up later.

Ginny's Destiny 14/1 five places – 16.40 Cheltenham

The TrustATrader Plate has a strong-looking favourite, JP McManus-owned Jagwar, trained by a nice stable. It is pleasing to see him given such support. Jagwar has done little wrong in his short career to date; a C&D win last time helped inflate the price of a few other horses. With that said, I am bound to have missed something because I was almost instantly drawn to Ginny's Destiny, a horse who failed me badly previously.

The horse has only been seen three times this season, showing absolutely nothing. Over C&D last time, he finished 10th of 11, which, with plenty of other horses on offer at a price, does suggest it's foolish to take a chance. But this is at least a handicap, and the horse is surely capable of featuring, having chased home two Grade 1 winners in Grey Dawning and Il Etait Tempts, although soundly beaten both times.

The horse completed a hat trick of wins over C&D last year before a 2nd place at this festival. Sights have been lowered, and we can hope at least one of my Nicholl's horses can provide us and him with some respite.

Sa Majeste 8/1 five places – 17.20 Cheltenham

The Kim Muir closes the card, I'd have love to have been on here yesterday, given Jodie Townend won the bumper, a jockey I've seen had plenty of success in the finale's over in Ireland over the last couple of three seasons. Mullins does reward his jockeys with winning rides here and given his son Patrick is yet to feature (has he even tried?), it is the McManus second string I've turned to, Sa Majeste.

Regrettably, as far back as I checked, in 2017, Mullins didn't win this race. In that time, famous amateur Derek O'Connor has won it twice. He shares the top of the market with another fancied Irish raider who fell last time. He will be carrying 18lbs less than my selection, which makes things difficult over this distance, but given the yard form, it is hard to overlook any of theirs.

A seemingly fortuitous winner last time, having just made four chase starts, only two of the last 22 winners won last time, which is another spanner in the works, which isn't ideal when only fourth in the market, I've thrown him in on what he's shown to date and asking for at least a place isn't overly unreasonable.

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