Alan Kelly’s Tips
Alan heads to Catterick on Sunday for his best bet of the day
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Latest Profit & Loss Figures
Not the best of weeks in the lead up to the Christmas period with a loss of -£10.89.
Impose Toi advertised his Stayers Hurdle claims with a victory in Saturday’s Long Walk Hurdle and still looks decent value at the 8/1 currently available with bet365.
Held-up right at the back in a slowly run race, Saturday’s nap Mondo Man was always going to struggle in an effort to make up the ground, but there is a decent handicap to be won with Gary & Josh Moore’s charge this season.
- P/L for the week ending Sunday, 21 December: -£10.89
- P/L for the year 2025 to date: +£45.02
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£531.01
Alan Kelly's Tips - Sunday, 28 December
The Irish meetings at Leopardstown and Limerick take centre stage on Sunday afternoon, in particular the former which will host two Grade 1 races, the Christmas Hurdle and Savills Chase.
The ground is expected to ride on the soft side of good with a dry, cloudy forecast for the day.
1:55pm Leopardstown - The Yellow Clay (Each-Way)
The minimum margin of a nose separated Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo and Ballyburn in the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last month, Willie Mullins’ runner slightly favoured in the betting to reverse that form over this three and a half furlong longer trip.
This Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle may not be the match that the market would suggest and I would rather back Gordon Elliott’s other runner THE YELLOW CLAY (Each-Way), the mount of Sam Ewing. The son of Yeats needs to put a couple of disappointing efforts behind him (fell when favourite for the Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival and only second in the Lismullen Hurdle on his reappearance last month), but had previously looked an exciting prospect over this kind of trip.
An impressive winner of his first four starts over hurdles, The Yellow Clay lost nothing in defeat when beating all bar Dan Skelton’s the New Lion in the Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with Willie Mullins’ Final Demand almost five lengths back in third place. Racing on ground that will suit and over this kind of trip for the first time, the six-year-old can put himself in the Stayers Hurdle picture (16/1 with bet365) with a big run this afternoon.
Recommendation: The Yellow Clay (Each-Way) - 8/1 with Paddy Power (3 places)
2:30pm Leopardstown - Fastorslow
Last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup 1-2 Inothewayurthinkin and Galopin Des Champs take each other on once again in this Grade 1 Savills Chase, the latter having his first start of the season and likely to improve for the run, as was the case on his first outings of both 2023 and 2024.
Twelve from 18 over fences, two of Galopin Des Champs’ six defeats came at the hands of Martin Brasill’s FASTORSLOW, the most recent when well-held by J J Slevin’s mount in last year’s Punchestown Gold Cup. Having his first run for a year, Fastorslow was no match for Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File over an inadequate trip in the Grade 1 John Durkan Chase at Punchestown last month, two places and over 20 lengths ahead of Inothewayurthinkin.
Still going well when unseating his rider in last year’s Gold Cup, Fastorslow probably has his ideal conditions today and gets the vote in a cracking renewal of this Grade 1 festive highlight.
Recommendation: Fastorslow - 9/2 with William Hill
3:13pm Catterick - Wasthatok (Nap)
Trainer Philip Kirby runs two in this 15-runner Go North Cab On Target Series Qualifier, the lightly raced The Clonmel Kid and the seven-year-old WASTHATOK (Nap) who will be having his 14th start over hurdles. A Kilbeggan maiden hurdle winner when trained by Gavin Cromwell in Ireland, the Mount Nelson gelding failed to trouble the judge in seven attempts for trainer Kerry Lee earlier in the year before joining Kirby in the summer.
Following a couple of decent efforts on the flat at Southwell and Catterick, Wasthatok finished a promising second when returning to hurdles at Wetherby at the end of October before going one better with a smooth victory at Newcastle two weeks later. In an effort to take advantage of a favourable chase mark, Wasthatok was sent off a short priced favourite for a conditional jockeys’ contest on this course two weeks later only to unseat his rider at the third fence.
Back of hurdles once again, I still think the mount of Ian Power is capable of following up that Newcastle victory off a 8lb higher mark. The Parkinson/Smith stable continues in good form and any market support for their handicap debutante Born Like Me should be noted.
Recommendation: Wasthatok (Nap) - 7/2 with bet365
* 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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