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Alan Kelly's Tips - Friday, 30 January
A mixture of soft and heavy ground is forecast for Friday’s two jumps cards at Catterick and Ffos Las. Hopefully, both meetings manage to survive the current unsettled weather conditions.
3:13pm Catterick - Bushypark
Despite reaching the veteran stage of a career resulting in 8 victories, 6 over hurdles and 2 over fences, the 12-year-old BUSHYPARK has shown enough on his last two starts to suggest he is more than capable of winning this modest Class 5 handicap on the same course where the gelding won the North Yorkshire Grand National three years ago.
Philip Kirby’s old warrior likes nothing better than to bowl along at the head of affairs, in particular when the ground is on the verge of being bottomless. Fourth at Carlisle on his penultimate start, the mount of 3lb claimer Joe Williamson meets the runner-up on that occasion, Tim Easterby’s Court At Slip, on 6lb better terms today.
In a race where Bushypark is almost guaranteed a soft lead up front, the veteran, far from disgraced when seventh at Ayr earlier in the month, can turn back the years by seeing off main rivals Court In Slip and Fortunefavorsdbold for career win number 9.
Recommendation: Bushypark
3:48pm Catterick - Asa
Sam England’s Born In The West won an amateur jockeys’ handicap over today’s course and distance before Christmas. This inconsistent performer may struggle to confirm that form with the third horse home however, the Annabelle Sowray-trained Rebel Intentions, who went down by a head on Catterick’s New Year’s Day card.
Craig Nichol’s mount won a soft-ground handicap at Ascot off a mark 8lb higher for previous handler Emma Lavelle and must have a decent chance of going one better than last time in receipt of plenty of weight from his eight rivals.
Tim Vaughan’s Colonial Empire ran his best race for some time when narrowly beaten in a 16-runner handicap at Taunton last month with today’s amateur rider Edward Vaughan in the saddle, a repeat of which would put the nine-year-old bang in the mix for this Go North Brindisi Breeze Series Qualifier. Jackie Stephen’s Guernesey is another who has been knocking on the door lately, but I like the chances of Philip Kirby’s ASA, the mount of 3lb claimer Joe Williamson.
Beaten two heads over hurdles at Wetherby last week, the selection is due to go up 2lb in the future to a mark of 100. A comfortable winner over fences on her first visit to Catterick around this time last year, the grey mare was heavily supported to follow-up over the smaller obstacles here two weeks later (won over hurdles at Southwell in between the two races) only to fall after making a bad mistake at the fourth hurdle.
For a stable which continues in decent form and with conditions to suit, Asa can record her third victory over hurdles and fifth in all.
Recommendation: Asa
4:00pm Ffos Las - El Gavilan (Nap)
A faller at the last when disputing second place over today’s course and distance on his second outing for trainer Neil Mulholland back in October, the lightly-raced Reinado made no mistake at short odds on his next two starts when running out the easy winner of handicaps at Uttoxeter and Chepstow the following month.
Now running off a mark a stone higher than when recording the second of those two wins, Conor O’Farrell’s mount may well be capable of completing the hat-trick, as the six-year-old is still something of an unknown quantity. However, on his first start for over two months, Reinado may improve for the run, in which case the horse who makes plenty of appeal is the Clive Boultbee-Brooks-trained EL GAVILIAN (Nap).
A promising second at Windsor on New Year's Day, Richard Patrick’s mount seemed to relish the testing conditions when winning easily over today’s course and distance 7 days later. Trained in France by Noel George as a three-year-old, El Gavilan has taken a while to show his true form for current connections but with conditions similar to those of last time, the improving five-year-old can follow-up off a mark 6lb higher.
Olly Murphy’s There Runs Mary has been slightly disappointing since winning her maiden here in November, but it is still too early to write off Sean Bowen’s mount, who is the other one to consider.
Recommendation: El Gavilan (Nap)
* 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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