LAST MINUTE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL NEWS AND TIPS FOR DAY THREE

As day turned to night at the 2009 Cheltenham festival rumors were confirmed that A P McCoy is standing by to pilot the day's favourite for the Ryanair Chase, Voy Por Ustedes. His previous jockey was slated to be Robert Thornton but after falling awkwardly off Big Zeb during the Queen Mother Champion Chase, his position is hanging by a thread with an early morning medical confirmation required. Click here to get your FREE BET up to £100 from Blue Square!Needless to say, punters are piling onto Voy Por Ustedes who is clinging to his 11/10 odds as of the time of this writing, but I expect evens by post time. With several highly-regarded runners having commanded the bulk of the attention over the last 48 hours, we're finally seeing some movement towards one of my tips for the most underated equines of the festival- a dashing 6 year-old French number named Ping Pong Sivola (11/1) who comes Storming into the Freddie Williams Festival Plate on the back of 6 straight first or second place finishes against some seriously first-rate competition. He triumphed over the unfortunately-named National Hunt Chase winner Tricky Trickster back at the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in late January. Ruby Walsh's longshot, aptly titled Oslot, is in for 25/1 while A P McCoy was seeing plenty of action at 9/1 on top of Perce Rock. This is one for the value punters, Ping Pong Sivola comes in on top of some seriously solid form and he's been in action often. All six first and second place finished have come within the past four months and his last two stand out especially- he finished unchallenged in both. I like Ping Pong Sivola and he's got Each-Way written all over him. Twenty-four runners are contesting the 2009 Pertemps Final and there are some seriously huge value out here in this race, but the late action is indicating that the slim favourite Don't Push It (7/1) has the aptitude to make it happen tomorrow at 2:05. This Jonjo O'Neill-trained 9 year old has finished second to both Big Bucks and Fair Along in the past two months and with very few distinguished runners in this one it could be the right time to make it happen. Many feel as though Don't Push It is well past his days, having enjoyed his premium form back in 05 and 06 season, but I think his partnership with A P McCoy will prove successful once again. Good to know the punters feel the same way. Click here to get your FREE BET up to £100 from Blue Square!For more betting advice, click here to go to our complete Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide