The pick of the prices on Day 3 at the Festival....

Wednesday, 11th March 2026

The pick of the prices on Day 3 at the Festival….

In ATC today….

…. I bring you my best picks on Day Three of the Cheltenham Festival….

I’m on ACE OF SPADES in the 4.40 – up at 12s….

…. I’m on ROAD TO HOME at 14s & 12s in the 5.20….

…. and I’m on IMPOSE TOI at 12s in the 3.20….

That’s the summary….

…. you’ll find all my reasoning below – as per usual….

Oh…. and if you’re looking for the standout place terms on offer – you’ll find them in the Bet Box below….

Read on….

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You’ll find my picks for this afternoon’s Cheltenham card here….

I always work 24-hours ahead of time when it comes to producing big-race selections….

…. and the focus in today’s column is tomorrow afternoon’s races….

First up – the Pertemps Network Final (4.40)….

Dan Skelton showed once again yesterday just what a canny operator he is in the big handicaps….

…. Madara won the Plate off 139 looking like he wouldn’t be out of a place on a mark in the mid-150s….

…. and loads of punters and pundits will be hoping the big man can repeat the feat in tomorrow’s 3m hurdle final with Supremely West….

It seems like he’s been the favourite for this since the Christmas before last – and every man Jack who looks to the top of the market for his daily bread can see no further than this lad….

Madara won sent off at 3s. This one is up at no better than 4s. They’re way too skinny for me….

Some will win. That’s inevitable. Plenty more will lose. And backing them long-term leads directly to a cardboard box in Piccadilly Gardens – that much I am certain of….

I thought long and hard about Kikijo – there’s more to come from him yet….

…. but – whilst there is some rain forecast over the track tomorrow – I wonder if the ground will be as soft he would maybe prefer it….

Preference is for the Skelton second-string ACE OF SPADES at the general 12s….

Having the long-time favourite doesn’t mean the second-string is playing for the bits-and-pieces money – far from it….

…. and I reckon the 7yo is a ‘live’ player under Kielan Woods tomorrow….

He started the season with a win at Aintree over 2m4f before running a solid race stepped up to 3m in the Stayers Hurdle at Haydock….

He qualified for tomorrow’s race with a win at Huntingdon towards the end of January….

…. and the time before that he ran second behind Ma Shantou at Cheltenham in a C2 handicap over tomorrow’s course and distance – finishing just 1.25 lengths in arrears….

That’s no bad piece of form when you think that one won the G2 Cleeve Hurdle next time….

…. has risen 16lb to a mark of 154….

…. and is fancied in some quarters for the G1 Stayers Hurdle a little earlier on tomorrow’s card….

Of course, Ace of Spades is higher up the order himself – but on 139 there could still be plenty more to come….

…. and I think he will like ground that is a little more spring than winter in character….
 
The Kim Muir (5.20) delivers not one but two proper shorties in Jeriko Du Reponet (7/2) & Waterford Whispers (4s)….

The latter debuts at a staying trip – just like Inothewayurthinkin did when he won the 2024 edition for the same owner….

The other shortie is also a McManus horse and runs at a trip for just the second time over fences – but he will need to improve markedly on the first….

I can’t have either horse at the prices and instead I’m going to back ROAD TO HOME under Patrick Mullins at the general 14s….

Watch his races over fences and intermediate trips at Doncaster and Newbury earlier in the season and it’s as clear as the nose on your face that he was doing all his best work at the end of those….

Trainer Willie Mullins stepped him to 3m at Leopardstown last month – albeit over hurdles (looking to protect the mark)….

…. but the outcome was inconclusive – the ground was bad and he was pulled up like plenty of others on the day….

I think he wants better ground. That’s why he was sent to Britain in the early part of the season….

He’ll get what he wants tomorrow and I’m happy to roll the dice on the trip – knowing that my horse has got one of the more accomplished jockeys in the race on his back….

I think the pair will run big….

Finally, I’m backing IMPOSE TOI in the Stayers Hurdle (3.20) at the general 12s….

I think he got a bit of unfair criticism after his second place finish in the Cleeve last time out….

Nicky Henderson has said since that he had to run him purely for fitness purposes and that the horse hated the ground that day….

He was giving 6lb to the winner and he didn’t find much off the bridle – hence the criticism….

…. but I think he’s better than that and I reckon he can be different again on better spring ground off level weights….

He’s drifted out to a price he can outrun tomorrow – and that’s the bottom line….

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Now, just to recap….

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That’s all for today….

I’ll be back with more tomorrow….

Meantime – contact me at – nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk

And remember – win, lose or draw – enjoy the racing….

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd