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Alan Kelly's Tips - Monday, 17 August
We head to the meetings at Catterick in North Yorkshire and Lingfield Park for Monday’s Horse Racing selections.
2:45pm Catterick - So Tempting (Nap)
Lambourn trainer sends just the one runner to the North Yorkshire racecourse, the Sergei Prokofiev filly SO TEMPTING (Nap) in this modest 6f nursery. The mount of jockey P J McDonald will be having her 5th outing to date, the unexposed juvenile having improved with each of her four starts to date.
Sixth of 10 in a decent fillies restricted novice stakes at Newbury last month, the winner Sugar Yes Please going on to win Newmarket’s Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes on her next start, while the third and fourth horses home have run well since, the former opening her account at Lingfield 2 weeks ago.
So Tempting made her nursery debut at Chepstow last month when failing by a head to catch Ollie Sangster’s Dreams Galore, who would go on to follow-up on that course recently with a more comfortable victory. Raised just 1lb to a mark of 53, So Tempting makes plenty of appeal in receipt of weight from most of her moderate rivals, best of which may be Roger Fell’s Aura Of Melania, who wasn’t beaten far at Ripon on her most recent start but has to concede 10lb to the selection.
Recommendation: So Tempting (Nap) - 13/8 with bet365
4:00pm Lingfield - Veil Of Clouds
The ex German-trained filly Dark Brunette is an interesting contender for this 6f handicap on the daughter of Dark Angel’s first start for Jane Chapple-Hyam. Well beaten on her handicap debut at Baden-Baden two months ago, the mount of champion jockey Oisin Murphy is worth watching for any market confidence on her debut for the stable.
The stable’s of Simon & Ed Crisford and Roger Varian continue in fine form and this Class 5 contest may concern their respective runners VEIL OF CLOUDS and Egotistical. The latter opened her account with a victory over main market rival Confide In Me at Redcar in April following three promising efforts, but was disappointing in handicaps at Pontefract and Yarmouth on her two subsequent starts.
The daughter of Acclamation should not be written off just yet, but preference is for Veil Of Clouds, who can open her account at the fifth time of asking. Sent off favourite for three of those four starts, the Pinatubo filly is clearly well thought of and should be more than capable of winning a race of this nature off a mark of 69. Third of 12 on her handicap debut on Wolverhampton's all-weather surface last month, Callum Shepherd's mount only needs to repeat that effort to go close in a race which should take little winning.
Recommendation: Veil Of Clouds - 5/4 with bet365
4:30pm Lingfield - Saeculamation
Stuart Williams’ lightly-raced Pure Passion boasts the best recent form in this poor three-year-old sprint handicap, the mount of Jack Doughty a winner over the minimum trip at Yarmouth 12 days ago before finishing second over an extra furlong on this course last Thursday. While another solid effort can be expected from the daughter of Magna Grecia, I prefer the chances of the George Margarson-trained bottom weight SAECULAMATION.
Kieran Shoemark’s mount is better on an artificial surface, the Acclamation gelding’s sole win to date from a mammoth 19 starts coming at Chelmsford in December on his final outing as a juvenile. Two of Saeculamation’s best runs have come on this course, first of all when beaten half a length in a nursery off a mark of 49 back in October before finishing a creditable 4th of 13 from an unpromising position in May.
Now down to a mark of 45 following four defeats on turf, I expect a much better effort from the selection on his return to the all-weather.
Recommendation: Saeculamation - 4/1 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 Free Bets in 2008.
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