Alan Kelly’s Horse Racing Tips
Horse racing tips for all nine races live on ITV Racing on Saturday
Alan Kelly We’ve got daily tips from our resident horse racing expert, Alan Kelly.
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Latest Profit & Loss Figures
Saturday’s ITV Racing tips from Newmarket, Goodwood and Thirsk failed to produce a winner from our six selections, although things could have been so different.
Two Tribes (9/1) was beaten two short heads in the opener, while the gamble on Arisaig (16/1 into 4/1) failed to materialise at Goodwood as the Charlie Johnston-trained filly found herself trapped on the rail inside the last two furlongs when full of running.
Hi Royal (17/2) completed a frustrating afternoon after failing by half a length to peg back all-the-way winner Flight Path in the Thirsk Hunt Cup.
However, we ended the week with a 15/2 winner in the last at Newmarket on Sunday, keeping our loss on the week down to -£8.55.
- P/L for the w/e Sunday, May 4th: -£8.55
- P/L for the year 2025 to date: -£13.06
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£472.93
Alan Kelly’s Horse Racing Tips
The ITV Racing coverage on Saturday afternoon features five races from Lingfield, including the Derby and Oaks Trials, three races from Ascot and one from Haydock Park, the valuable Swinton Hurdle at 1:35pm.
We have tips for all 9 races, the first of which is the rearranged Oaks Trial at 1:15pm. All of the races at the Surrey track take place on turf, the going currently described as good to firm.
Nap of the Day - Cathedral (3:35pm Lingfield)
Ralph Beckett's filly looks an exciting prospect for the future and is fancied to get her season off to a winning start with a victory in this Group 3 contest.
1:15pm Lingfield - No Bet
This Oaks Trial is unlikely to shed any light on the fillies’ classic at Epsom next month. While the Frankel filly Giselle is some way down the Ballydoyle pecking order, the stable should have little trouble in landing this three-runner Listed race for a third time.
Recommendation: No Bet
1:35pm Haydock - Big Boy Bobby (Each-Way) & Dance And Glance (Each-Way)
This is hardly a vintage Swinton Hurdle (Premier Handicap) with Harry Derham’s Givemefive heading the weights on a mark of 137. In a wide-open renewal, my two against the field are towards the bottom of the handicap in the shape of BIG BOY BOBBY (Each-Way) and DANCE AND GLANCE (Each-Way).
The former was runner-up in Kempton’s Lanzarote Hurdle in 2022, and following a break of almost two years, Tom Cannon’s mount has performed with credit on all three runs this season, the most recent when beaten less than a length in a 16-runner Cheltenham handicap last month. The Alan King stable is in decent form at the moment, and off a mark of 122, Big Boy Bobby is capable of a big run.
This will be just the second run in a handicap for Anthony Honeyball’s Dance And Glance, who turned over a ⅕ favourite of Paul Nicholls in a novice hurdle at Taunton in March before failing the got the clearest of runs when second to fellow rival Bareback Jack on his handicap debut at Bangor just over two weeks ago.
Now 5lb better off with Donald McCain’s charge, and with jockey Harry Cobden in the saddle for the first time, Dance And Glance makes plenty of appeal (each-way).
Recommendations: Big Boy Bobby (Each-Way) - 16/1 with Coral (5 places) & Dance And Glance (Each-Way) - 12/1 with bet365 (5 places)
1:50pm Lingfield - Dashinwhitesargent (Each-Way)
A race which makes only limited appeal from a betting perspective, the each-way vote going to the Hughie Morrison-trained DASHINWHITESARGENT (Each-Way). Daniel Muscott’s mount won a handicap over today’s trip at Epsom last August off a 1lb lower mark.
On his first start for 180 days, the Highland Reel gelding looked in need of the run when fifth in the Great Metropolitan at Epsom on his reappearance and should be competitive with a rating of just 74.
Recommendation: Dashinwhitesargent (Each-Way) - 7/1 with bet365 (3 places)
2:05pm Ascot - Arisaig
Having tipped ARISAIG at 16/1 (started 4/1) for a Listed race at Goodwood last Saturday, watching the filly trapped on the rails when full of running inside the last two furlongs was frustrating to say the least. The daughter of Harry Angel has a chance to set the record straight seven days later, granted a less troubled passage.
Beaten just over 5 lengths when 8th of 30 in the Sandringham at last year’s royal meeting, Callum Shepherd’s mount gets a narrow vote over top weight Rainbows Edge and last year’s winner Bellarchi.
Recommendation: Arisaig - 5/2 with BetGoodwin
2:25pm Lingfield - Vice President
A nine length winner on Lingfield’s all-weather track in September, Andrew Balding’s Candyman Stan opened his account on turf when making all of the running to take a Brighton handicap last month with the minimum of fuss. The four-year-old’s only disappointing effort to date came on very soft ground at Newmarket last season. Jason Watson’s mount should be capable of winning again off a 7lb higher mark with conditions to suit.
However, at a much bigger price, slight preference is for the Richard Hughes-trained VICE PRESIDENT President. Jockey Ryan Moore has been booked to ride the ex Ballydoyle inmate, who is sure to improve for his run at Newbury last month over an extended two miles. By Galileo and out of Munster Oaks winner Words, Vice President should appreciate this drop back in trip on his second start for the stable.
Recommendation: Vice President - 5/1 with Paddy Power
2:40pm Ascot - English Oak (Each-Way) & Diligent Resdev (Each-Way)
A typically open Victoria Cup, my two against the field being Ed Walker's ENGLISH OAK (Each-Way) and northern challenger DILIGENT RESDEV (Each-Way). The former was an easy winner of the Buckingham Palace Stakes over today's course and distance at the royal meeting and should prove competitive off a 7lb higher mark.
Slowly away in a moderately-run handicap at Haydock on his reappearance when unable to make any headway from the back, William Buick’s mount will be seen to better effect back at the Berkshire racecourse.
The Michael and David Easterby stable are always to be respected when journeying south and Joanna Mason's mount caught the eye when staying on to finish third at Musselburgh on his reappearance.
Winner of big field handicaps at York and Ayr as a three-year-old last season, Diligent Resdev should be suited by this straight 7f and looks fairly treated off a mark of 86.
Recommendations: English Oak (Each-Way) - 12/1 with bet365 (5 places) & Diligent Resdev (Each-Way) - 16/1 with BetGoodwin (5 places)
3:00pm Lingfield - Puppet Master
Ballydoyle are represented by both PUPPET MASTER and Stay True in this Derby Trial, the former fourth behind stablemates Delacroix and Lambourn (won Chester Vase on Wednesday) in the Ballysax on his reappearance at the end of March, while the latter, unraced at two, made a winning debut in a Leopardstown maiden last month. Of the pair, preference is for Puppet Master, who should appreciate this step-up in trip and has the best form in the book, courtesy of the Camelot colt’s three and a quarter length fourth in last year’s Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes.
Recommendation: Puppet Master - 6/4 with Coral
3:15pm Ascot - Turquino
Making his handicap debut off an opening mark of 86, Andrew Balding’s unbeaten Teofilo gelding TURQUINO, following victories on the all-weather at Southwell and Newcastle, has his first try at turf today in this 1m 4f handicap. Having started at short odds for both of those wins in March (unraced at 2 and 3), Oisin Murphy’s mount is clearly held in some regard.
Turquino’s most recent half length success came when conceding 7lb to Ed Dunlop’s Don Simon (3rd horse 10 lengths away), who went on to be beaten a short head in a competitive 14-runner handicap at Chelmsford last month. Still far from the finished article, Turquino can only improve upon those two runs to date and could well outclass his more exposed rivals in this Class 3 contest.
Recommendation: Turquino - 3/1 with bet365
3:35pm Lingfield - Cathedral (Nap)
The only three-year-old in this six-runner Group 3 race for fillies, Ralph Beckett’s daughter of Too Darn Hot, CATHEDRAL (Nap), looks a good prospect for the season ahead (33/1 for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot) and Richard Kingscote’s mount can enhance her prospects for that Group 1 contest with a victory this afternoon.
An easy winner on Lingfield’s all-weather track on her debut last September, Cathedral went on to finish a half length runner-up to Ballydoyle’s Merrily in Newmarket’s Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes on her only other outing as a juvenile, over three lengths in front of the third horse home, Ollie Sangster’s Flight.
That horse gave the form a big boost when beating all bar Godolphin’s Desert Flower in last weekend’s Betfred 1000 Guineas. In receipt of between 12lb and 15lb from her 5 older rivals, I will be disappointed if this unexposed filly does not prove up to the task.
Recommendation: Cathedral (Nap) - 9/4 with William Hill
* Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
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About Alan Kelly
A passionate follower of horse racing for over 50 years, Alan has enjoyed a 40-year career in the betting industry, 28 of which he spent running his betting shop as an owner/manager.
A successful punter with a keen eye for value, Alan has had many betting highlights, including a Scoop 6 win and has shown a consistent profit in the battle with bookmakers since joining Freebets.com in 2008.
You can follow Alan Kelly on Twitter for more racing insight.
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