Some guys have all the luck

Two punters where smiling yesterday as they took Sean Grahams for a few quid.One North Belfast punter took Grahams for over 13 grand when he backed the first three winners yesterday in a £10 each-way treble while a Whiterock punter lifted close to 5 grand when his 20p Lucky 15 touched - great piece of punting by both.

ON TO Day 3 of the festival and hopefully you have banked a few pounds up to now as we enter the final two days of  Cheltenham 2010.

If you thought the first two days were hard then this third day for me looks the toughest of the week.

We start with Thursday’s big race, the WORLD HURDLE, and many punters’ idea of the ‘good thing’ of the meeting runs in this with BIG BUCKS who gets an 8/13 quote from Sean Grahams for the race.

He hosed up in this race last year at odds of 6/1 and since that victory he has racked up another three facile wins at Aintree and twice at Newbury and it will take one hell of a horse to overturn him today (Thursday).

The each-way punt of the race could be TIME FOR RUPERT  who is as big as 20/1 and goes well over this course and distance – 5/1 the place looks a good bet.

Let’s get back to the opening race of the day and we have the JEWSON HANDICAP CHASE. What a wide-open race this is with the Paul Nicholls-trained Rivaliste leading a wide-open market at 6/1. But we like two others in the race and our first selection is HEY BIG SPENDER who won over course and distance in January and is a big player at 10/1.

The each-way bet of the race is FIENDISH FLAME from the Donald McCain yard. He was put in the PG notebook when winning at Mussleburgh last time out and we expect him to run into a place at 33/1.

On to the PERTEMPS FINAL and it’s take your pick in this one. The Paul Nicholls stable has a live one in the shape of ALFIE SHERRIN and judged on his easy win at Newbury in February he’s one to beat and is as low as 7/2 for the race.

Each-way bet selection for the race is the Ian Williams-trained FREDO who hacked up at Haydock last month and gets a 14/1 quote for the race.

On to the RYANAIR CHASE and a cracking renewal of this race which was won by 6/1 shot Imperial Commander last year.

TRANQUIL SEA looks the one to beat after skipping  round here in November in the Paddy Power and Edward O’Grady has him finely tuned for this race and he has to be the one to beat.

Of the oustide bets we like the Jonjo O’Neill-trained ALBERTAS RUN who ran a cracker in the Betfair Chase at Ascot last time out and could well nick a place here at rewarding odds of 16/1.

The BYRNE GROUP PLATE threw up a 33/1 shocker last year when Something Wells won and it could well happen again this year with a wide-open field going to post for this handicap.

WATCH MY BACK is one of the 8/1 joint favourites and although he has not run since November he looks a big player in the race. Trainer Ferdy Murphy knows how to win races at the festival. He trounced Battlecry at Doncaster  and we think he will run a big race.

CHAPOTUREGON won the Jewson last season but has failed to build on that success this season. If he shows that old spark then the 12/1 on offer could be a fine each-way punt in the race.

On to the last race of Day 3 and we have the Kim Muir Chase for amateur riders – providing we have any money left. We like the top weight BALLABRIGGS, trained by Donald McCain who has sluiced up in his last two race and looks the one to beat in this one.

GALLANT NUIT looks another on the upgrade. He certainly knows how to win round Cheltenham and looks the each-way choice at 14/1, which could complete a very good day for Ferdy Murphy.

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