Timeform’s Day Three tips, flags and ratings

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The Ratings Banker
Allaho – 14.50 Cheltenham

Allaho will be bidding to win the Ryanair Chase for the second year running after storming to a 12 length success in last year’s race which was the best performance of the entire Cheltenham Festival. Jumping superbly in the lead and forcing mistakes from several of his rivals struggling to go the pace, Allaho had his race won entering the straight.

He was one of no fewer than seven runners for Willie Mullins when making a successful return in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in December, making all again and chased home by stablemates Janidil and Melon who are among his rivals again here. That form worked out extremely well, with another stablemate, Tornado Flyer in fifth, going on to win the King George, and fourth-placed Fakir d’Oudairies, last year’s Ryanair runner-up, winning the Ascot Chase. Fakir d’Oudairies finished a dozen lengths behind him again when Allaho completed his Cheltenham preparations with an easy repeat success in the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles in January.

Allaho therefore returns to Cheltenham in top form as he bids to become only the second dual winner of the Ryanair after Albertas Run in 2010 and 2011. His chief rivals this time include the surprise Irish Gold Cup winner Conflated and Shan Blue who returns from an injury sustained when falling in a clear lead in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby in the autumn, but Allaho has plenty in hand on his best form which should ensure he’ll take all the beating again.

The Big Improver
Dinoblue – 16.50 Cheltenham

Willie Mullins won the first five editions of the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle before Henry de Bromhead was successful last year and has no fewer than seven chances this time in his bid to resume his domination of the contest. Paul Townend maintains his partnership with Brandy Love who was second in the Grade 3 Solerina Mares Novices Hurdle at Fairyhouse last time while Patrick Mullins partners another of the stable’s leading hopes Grangee who was in the process of running well when falling in the same contest.

However, pick of the Mullins mares could well be Mark Walsh’s mount Dinoblue who made an impressive debut under the same rider at Clonmel in January. A half-sister to the same connections’ Blue Sari who found only Envoi Allen too good in the Champion Bumper three years ago, Dinoblue was a well backed even-money chance for the mares’ maiden hurdle at Clonmel. She impressed both with her jumping and the way she travelled prior to drawing clear in the straight with Walsh barely having to move a muscle to come home clear of stable-companions La Prima Donna and Mi Lighthouse. The latter one next time out and the runner-up probably would have done so too had she not fallen. Although obviously not yet the finished article, Dinoblue is open to a good deal of improvement and, while she’s lacking experience, it’s worth remembering the same stable’s Concertista went very close to winning it at the first attempt in 2019 on her hurdling debut.

The Timeform Flag
Flooring Porter – 15.30 Cheltenham

Horse In Focus, Horses For Courses

Flooring Porter is another back to defend his Grade 1 title on this card and last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle winner has a good chance in a wide-open race of becoming the first since four-time winner Big Buck’s to win it more than once. Gavin Cromwell’s gelding improved out of all recognition last season, starting the campaign in handicaps but ending up taking the staying hurdlers’ championship with a brazen display of front running, travelling fluently and jumping well before keeping on to beat the dual Pertemps Final winner Sire du Berlais by three and a quarter lengths, with the 2019 winner Paisley Park back in third.

Not everything has gone smoothly for Flooring Porter since, but he ran a huge race on his latest start when runner-up in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, a race he had won twelve months earlier. Returning to his Cheltenham form, Flooring Porter was unable to adopt his usual front running role but chased Klassical Dream throughout in a clear second and stuck to his task determinedly as the pair finished upwards of twenty lengths clear of the rest.

Klassical Dream came out on top by two lengths, and while both horses had hard races, Flooring Porter has been given plenty of time to freshen up since whereas his conqueror suffered a bitterly disappointing odds-on defeat at Gowran a month later.