Stable Stars Banner GIF New

Alan Kelly’s Tips

Alan heads to Chester on Wednesday for his best bet

Updated: May 5, 2026 at 6:45 pm GMT+1

Get fresh daily selections and a standout Nap of the Day from our in-house racing expert, Alan Kelly.

Looking to boost your bets? Discover the latest betting offers from the UK's best betting sites.

For live TV action, head to our ITV Racing Tips hub for expert picks on the biggest races, and explore Ryan Moore booked rides for detailed insights on one of flat racing's most successful jockeys.

BetVictor logo
BetVictor
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Horse Racing Bets
18+ New customers only. Opt in, deposit & bet £10  or more on any Horse Racing market at minimum 1/1 odds within 7 days of registration. No cash out. Get £30 in Free Horse Racing Bets, selected markets. Free Bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.com| Please gamble responsibly

Latest Profit & Loss Figures

A fabulous week ending Sunday 3 May, in particular a couple of outstanding days on Friday and Saturday with winners at 2/1, 4/1, 13/2 (25p R4), 11/10, 11/8, 9/1 10/1, and 11/1.

Our one losing nap of the week  came on Sunday when Sacred Ground could only manage to finish second in Newmarket’s opener.

  • P/L for the week ending Sunday, 3 May: +£37.96
  • P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£105.06
  • P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
  • P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
  • P/L since 1st September 2022: +£605.72


Alan Kelly's Tips - Wednesday, 6 May

Wednesday sees the first day of Chester's May meeting, the ground on the Roodee forecast as good to to soft, good in places.


1:30pm Chester - Final Appeal

A fascinating Lily Agnes Stakes to kick-start Chester’s May meeting, the 5f test of speed for juveniles likely to concern the four previous winners in the race, Adonius, FINAL APPEAL, Hickory Lad and Wait Geordie. All four horses have shown bags of early pace, so there is unlikely to be any hanging around over today’s minimum trip.

Of the quartet, I think Rebecca Menzies’ Adonius has it all to do under a double penalty, while Hickory Lad only had two rivals to beat when landing short odds at Musselburgh last week. Hugo Palmer’s Wait Geordie did well to make all against his 9 opponents at Bath on his debut last month, two of which have won since, and looks  sure to go well with Oisin Murphy taking over from David Probert in the saddle.

However, Karl Burke has a strong bunch of two-year-olds, and his Final Appeal is clearly well regarded having been sent off favourite on both of his starts to date. Narrowly beaten on his debut at Nottingham last month with the Newland/Insole-trained Blackberry Bold half a length back in third, Clifford Lee’s mount improved for that run to record a comfortable victory at Wolverhampton two weeks later.

With Blackberry Road in opposition once again, Final Appeal increased his winning margin over that horse to just over 8 lengths, while the runner-up Noble Raider was far from disgraced when third at Newmarket on Sunday.

Recommendation: Final Appeal - 11/4 with bet365


2:05pm Chester - Snow Master (Nap)

Daniel & Claire Kubler’s Percy’s Lad is something of a standing dish on the Roodee, two of the gelding’s six wins to date coming on the course, including when making all in this race 12 months ago off a 5lb higher mark. The booking of jockey Tom Marquand for the first time aboard the son of Sir Percy signifies that connections fancy their chances of winning back-to-back renewals of this £50k handicap.

While respected, I think the eight-year-old may struggle to see off Andrew Balding’s handicap debutante SNOW MASTER (Nap) on his first start for the Kingsclere trainer since leaving the Tom Dascombe stable recently. The son of Ardad looked a smart prospect when winning on his first two starts, both at Yarmouth, before ending last year with unplaced efforts in Group 3 and Group 2 races at Haydock and Newmarket respectively.

Oisin Murphy’s mount didn’t help his chances by taking a keen hold in both of those races and is clearly capable of much better. An opening handicap mark of 100 may have seriously underestimated the potential of Snow Master, who is fancied to outclass his rivals in this extended 7f contest.

Recommendation: Snow Master (Nap) - 11/4 with Betfred


3:05pm Chester - Water To Wine

The Gosdens’ impressive Newbury winner I’m The One is expected to strengthen her position as Oaks favourite with a victory in the Cheshire version at 2.35pm. This Group 3 Chester Vase looks less straightforward with a view to shedding some light on next month’s Derby picture. 

Currently a best price 6/1 for Epsom, a victory for Ballydoyle’s Benvenuto Cellini would cement his place at the head of the Derby betting should the son of Frankel prove up to conceding 4lb to his six rivals on his reappearance. While trainer Aidan O’Brien will be going for a staggering 12th victory in the race, most of the Ballydoyle horses are coming on for their first run of the season.

Possibly unsuited by the very testing conditions when third behind stablemate Hawk Mountain in Doncaster’s Futurity on his final outing at two, the betting is likely to shed some light on the chances of Ryan Moore’s mount. A 20/1 chance with most bookmakers for Epsom, the John & Thady Gosden-trained WATER TO WINE takes a massive step-up in class following an impressive debut success at Newbury last month with Moore in the saddle.

Only time will tell what the Frankel colt beat at the Berkshire racecourse, but it was impossible to fault the way Water To Wine quickened away from his rivals in the closing stages of that 1m 3f contest. In a Derby where the betting is dominated by horses from Ballydoyle, I hope (expect) James Doyle's mount to breathe some life into the British challenge for the world’s greatest Flat race.

Recommendation: Water To Wine - 5/2 with William Hill


4:45pm Chester - Sujet (Each-Way)

I thought A War Eagle ran really well when finishing fifth in the Thirsk Hunt Cup at the weekend on just his third start for the Michael & David Easterby stable, the four-year-old previously with trainer Ed Bethell. Reappearing just four days later, it would be no surprise to see Billy Garritty’s mount improve upon that effort.

The James Fanshawe stable is in good form at the moment and their co- bottom weight Pietro is one of several with decent claims in this 7f handicap. The vote, however, goes to the ex Dermot Weld-trained SUJET (Each-Way), now in the care of Declan Carroll. The son of Frankel won two of his four starts in 2025 when owned by Juddmante prior to joining Carroll last month.

Making his debut for connections at Newmarket’s Craven meeting, the mount of 3lb claimer Zac Wheatley weakened close home to finish 7th of the 18 runners after holding every chance a furlong out. With that run under his belt, and off a 2lb lower mark, Sujet gets the each-way vote in Chester’s day one finale.

Recommendation: Sujet (Each-Way) - 9/1 with bet365 (4 places)


* Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.


Check out more from the Freebets horse racing hub, including tips, stats, market movers and today’s racecards!

Alan Kelly’s Tips
Charlie McCann’s Tips
Lucky 15 Tips for Today & Tomorrow
Horse Racing Market Movers - Today’s Best Backed Horses
Horse Racing Stats & Trends - Today’s Key Pointers
Longest Travelled Horses Today
UK & Ireland Racecards for Today
Placepot Tips Today
Nap of the Day - Top Horse Racing Naps & Daily Tips

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 X for more racing insight.


Latest Horse Racing News

Betfred Scottish Grand National Offer 2026: Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets
Punchestown Festival Free Bets & Betting Offers - Day Four
BetVictor Scottish Grand National Offer 2026: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

Alan Kelly
Alan Kelly

A successful punter, with a keen eye for value, Alan has had many betting highlights down the years, including a Scoop 6 win and has shown a consistent profit in the battle with bookmakers since joining Free Bets.

Free Bets, Promo Codes and Welcome Offers

BETFRED
Betfred Sign-Up Offer and Promo Code
Read Review
Kwiff Logo
Kwiff Review, Free Bets and Betting Offers 2026
Read Review
Spreadex Sports Review & Features Insight
Read Review
bet365 logo
Bet365 Review and Feature Insights
Read Review
William Hill Sports Logo
William Hill Review & Sign Up Offer
Read Review
Best CopyBet Sign Up Offer & Bonuses 2026
Read Review
BetWay Review & User Opinion
Read Review
jeffbet Logo Webp
Jeffbet Review, Sign Up Offer & Bonuses for May 2026
Read Review
Pick your bet type
Horse Racing Offers
More Horse Racing Offers
Betway logo
1
Betway
Bet £10, Get £40 in Free Bets
Claim Offer
18+. New customers only. Place a min £10 bet at min odds of 2.0. £40 worth of Free Bet Tokens awarded on bet settlement. 4 x £10 each with betting restrictions. 7 day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way Full Terms apply
KWIFF logo
2
KWIFF
Bet £10, Get £40 in Free Bets
Claim Offer
New UK customers. Place a £10 real money bet at min. 2.0 odds within 5 days of first deposit. Receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 Single, 2 Accas (min. 3 selections), 1 Bet Builder (min. 3 selections). Excludes cashout, E/W, Multis, Virtuals & Odds Boosts. Credited after bet settlement. 7-day expiry. T&Cs apply. 18+ | GambleAware
Tote logo
3
Tote
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets
Claim Offer
New customers online only. Bet a min £/€10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater across sports or racing within 7 days of registration to qualify. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit, £/€10 Free Sports Bet within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to bet slip. Voided/non-runner bets will not qualify; subsequent bet will be qualifying bet. 7-day expiry. 18+. One per customer. Selected customers only. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply.