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Only another 359 days to the Cheltenham Festival, last week’s four days at Prestbury Park once again proving memorable for both the right and wrong reasons. The playground spat between Nico de Boinville and amateur Declan Queally was the headline act in the embarrassment stakes, while the less said about a plethora of farcical starts the better.
The most memorable moments, however, were of the equine variety, in particular Gaelic Warrior’s silky-smooth Gold Cup victory, while on a personal level, Il Etait Temps produced the Champion Chase performance I was both expecting and hoping for in equal measures. With those memories fresh in the mind, 359 days seems a very long time to wait for the next instalment. Never mind, only a couple of weeks before the start of the turf flat season?
From a betting perspective, Wednesday was the undoubted highlight, with winners at 5/1, 15/2 and 11/1. It was a case of what might have been following the fall (stumble) of The Yellow Clay three-out in the BetMGM Gold Cup when coming to join eventual (easy) winner Jingko Blue. The possible result of my each-way accumulator on the four is a mystery that will forever remain a matter of conjecture. After going into Thursday with a profit of over £25, we managed to give most of it back, Cheltenham Festival week ending with a profit of +£8.70.
- P/L for the week ending Sunday, 15 March: +£8.70
- P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£78.87
- P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£579.53
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Alan Kelly's Tips - Tuesday, 17 March
Tuesday’s jumps action comes from the meetings at Exeter and Wetherby in Britain, along with the Irish cards at Down Royal and Wexford.
We have selections for both Exeter and Wetherby as well as an ante-post selection for next month’s Randox Grand National.
3:30pm Exeter - Saint Cyr De Pail (Nap)
Martin Keighley’s First Angel is 3 from 10 over fences, the 10-year-old last seen winning comfortably over two miles at Taunton. That victory came 14 months ago however and the mount of James Bowen is probably best watched on his reappearance. Joe Tizzard's Sherborne has been slowly slipping down the weights but keeps finding one or two too good, while the Jeremy Scott pair of Bonza Boy and Captain Boudet, both course winners, would have chances based on their best form.
However, I like the chances of Jane Williams’ bottom weight SAINT CYR DE PAIL (Nap) who came in for strong support to take a handicap over today’s course and distance earlier in the month, only for the lightly-raced Kapgarde gelding to unseating his rider after pecking on landing at the very first fence.
A winner on this course just before Christmas when left clear by the fall of nearest rival Sea Thrift 3 out (has won twice since), we have yet to see the best of Ciaran Gething’s unexposed mount, who can take advantage of the weight he receives from all 5 rivals. The stable continues in decent form despite not having much luck with their two runners at Cheltenham last week.
Recommendation: Saint Cyr De Pail (Nap) - 4/1 with bet365
4:22pm Wetherby - Into The Park (Each-Way)
With the Jonjo & AJ O’Neill stable in fine form, the obvious answer to the outcome of this Class 4 contest may well be their handicap debutante Hawthorne Street, who opened his account over hurdle with a victory in a Catterick maiden last month, beating horse, Solid Performer, who held a 10 length lead when falling 2 out at Haydock 12 days ago.
While the mount of Jonjo O’Neill Jn’r is greatly respected, I think it is worth taking a chance on the Hobbs/White contender INTO THE PARK (Each-Way), who steps up to today’s 3m trip and with the aid of blinkers for the first time. The Walk In The Park gelding’s best effort so far this season came when beaten a neck by Harry Derham’s Dargiannini over 2m 4f at Uttoxeter in October with four subsequent winners behind.
Now running off his last winning mark of 120, the mount of 3lb claimer Callum Pritchard looked as if a step-up in trip would suit when fourth at Catterick on his most recent start last month. If you were to ignore his last run, Mark Walford’s Buzz Iceclear would have a shout, while Olly Murphy’s Kapal Layar is capable of much better than Sean Bowen’s mount has shown so far this season.
Recommendation: Into The Park (Each-Way) - 15/2 with bet365 (3 places)
Grand National (Antepost) - Final Orders (Each-Way)
With less than a month to go before the 2026 renewal of Aintree’s Randox Grand National, a good time to try and pinpoint a bit of early value in the ante-post market for the world’s most famous steeplechase. At the 50/1 currently available with William Hill about Gavin Cromwell’s Final Orders, I think last week’s Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase winner is way overpriced for the extended 4m 2f test of jumping and stamina.
Currently standing at number 40 in the pecking-order and with a maximum permitted field of 34, the 10-year-old is not guaranteed his place, but with several doubtful runners higher up in the handicap I will be surprised if the Camelot gelding ends up as one of the reserves. A greater doubt revolves around possible ground conditions at the Merseyside racecourse on April 11th, as Final Orders needs decent going to produce his best form.
With current top weight I Am Maximus (winner in 2024) a certain runner barring accidents, Final Orders has a lovely racing weight of just 10st 5lb. Five of the first 12 winners of the race in the 21st century were 10-year-olds, and while Cheltenham's cross country chase has only been going since 2005, dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll won that unique three miles five and a half furlong contest in both of the years he was victorious at Aintree.
Of Final Orders’ seven successes over fences, five came over distances ranging from two to three miles, showing the kind of versatility needed to win a race requiring both pace and stamina in equal measures (also a winner over 1m 4f on the flat). If conditions are similar at Aintree to those of last week (good to soft), a reproduction of his comfortable victory over favourite Favori De Champdou would give the selection a much better chance of emulating Tiger Roll than his current odds would indicate.
Recommendation: Final Orders (Each-Way) - 50/1 with Unibet (4 places)
* 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 X for more racing insight.
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