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Alan Kelly's Tips - Wednesday, 29 July
Horse racing tips for both the Goodwood and Galway Festivals on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
The feature race on day two of the Goodwood Festival is the Group 1 Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at 4.10pm, while over in Ireland the Tote Galway Plate is the big betting race of the day, the two mile six and a half furlong handicap chase due to get underway at 6.40pm.
"Tip of the Day" - Opera Ballo (4.10pm Goodwood) - 4/1 with Paddy Power
In a fascinating Sussex Stakes, Godolphin's top class four-year-old is fancied to lead his younger rivals a merry dance on the Sussex Downs.
1:50pm Goodwood - Bay Royale (Each-Way)
Available at odds of 10/1 with most bookmakers, the Harry Eustace-trained BAY ROYALE (Each-Way) looks overpriced for this informative 1m 4f three-year-old handicap. While we have not seen the New Bay colt since he finished second to a promising horse of Roger Varian's in Knights Charge at Nottingham back in May, Bay Royale had previously run out a comfortable winner on that course from two of today's rivals in Hatteen and Infraad.
While those two horses have shown improved form since then, in particular the former, who, after finishing second to St Leger hope Point Of Law in a Newbury maiden, opened his account with an easy victory at Doncaster earlier in the month. The fact that both of those horses are no bigger than 7/2 for Goodwood's opener, makes the double-figure price on offer about Pierre-Louis Jamin's mount an attractive proposition. Joseph O'Brien's Cannes is the other one to consider.
Recommendation: Bay Royale (Each-Way) - 10/1 with Betfred
3:00pm Goodwood - Zanthos
Andrew Balding's Flora Of Bermuda is a cracking mare who has already recorded two victories this season, the most recent coming in York's Group 3 Summer Stakes earlier in the month. On her first attempt at today's trip of 7f, I think James Doyle's mount may struggle in an effort to concede 10lb to the Simon & Ed Crisford-trained ZANTHOS.
The daughter of Sioux Nation ended her two-year-old career with a victory in Newmarket's Group 2 Rockfel Stakes, with subsequent Coronation Stakes runner-up Touleen back in 5th place. Oisin Murphy's mount failed to get the one mile trip on heavy ground when weakening to finish 9th in the French 1000 Guineas on her reappearance after holding every chance until the fillies' stamina gave out approaching the final furlong.
Badly drawn in stall 1 when unable to get competitive in Royal Ascot's Group 1 Commonwealth Cup last time, Zanthos will appreciate the drop down to Group 3 company, along with the extra furlong of today's race. The other one to consider is Richard Hughes' Sayidah Dariyan, far from disgraced when beaten only 3 lengths in Royal Ascot's Queen Elizabeth 11 Jubilee Stakes last month.
Recommendation: Zanthos - 9/2 with Betvictor
4:10pm Goodwood - Opera Ballo (Nap)
A cracking Sussex Stakes in which the first two horses home in the Betfred 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, Bow Echo and Gstaad, take on the older brigade in receipt of the 8lb weight-for-age allowance. Due to run in Tuesday's Lennox Stakes, last year's shock winner of this race, Qirat, and William Haggas's Lake Forest, have been declared to run in Wednesday's feature race just 24 hours later. An audacious plan, but one which adds an element of spice to this year's festival.
Godolphin's OPERA BALLO attempted to make it all when caught close home by fellow rival Ten Bob Tony and More Thunder in Royal Ascot's Queen Anne last month, a difficult task on that track. I expect jockey William Buick to employ the same tactics aboard Charlie Appleby's charge on this less-demanding course, and the son of Ghaiyyath is taken to see off the expected late challengers of his younger rivals. Eve Johnson Houghton's Zavateri may prove best of those at a double-figure price.
Recommendation: Opera Ballo (Nap) - 4/1 with Paddy Power
6:40pm Galway - Funiculi Funicula
Closutton maestro Willie Mullins is four-handed in this Galway Plate (5 if you include 1st reserve Jalila Moriviere), the quartet headed by the unexposed six-year-old FUNICULI FUNICULA. If there is a horse who is destined to go on to greater things among the maximum field of 22 runners for this valuable Grade 3 handicap, it is likely to be Paul Townend's mount.
A close third in the Grade 1 Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle at last year's Grand National meeting behind Honesty Policy and Regents Stroll, the Storm The Stars gelding made significant progress on each of his four starts over the bigger obstacles, culminating in a comfortable victory in a 2m 4f Listed handicap at the Punchestown Festival (stablemates Spread boss Ted and Ballygunner Castle back in 3rd and 4th places).
Raised 8lb to a mark of 149 following that win, Funiculi Funicula looks an exciting prospect going forward and can get his campaign off to a winning start at the main expense of Gordon Elliott's Nowwhatdoyouthink, who will be having his first start for the Cullentra trainer since leaving the stable of Ray Hackett, and Gavin Cromwell's Topham winner Will The Wise.
Recommendation: Funiculi Funicula - 13/2 with William Hill
Ante-Post: Coral Golden Mile (Goodwood, 31 July) - Tribal Chief (Each-Way)
Having selected the David Menuisier-trained Tribal Chief for Saturday's valuable Coral Challenge at Sandown, the race was pretty much over for Saffie Osborne's mount as the stalls opened, the five-year-old losing in the region of 8 lengths to his rivals in a race where it was almost impossible to win from such a position.
A fast finishing sixth, beaten three lengths, the son of Sioux Nation nevertheless ran a cracking trial for Goodwood's Coral Golden Mile later this month. Currently standing at number 46 for the £175k handicap on the Friday of the five-day festival, and with a maximum field of 20, the five-year-old will need a few to come out in order to make the cut.
Sixth in last year's race off a 2lb lower mark when beaten three lengths after being slowly away once again as a strongly-fancied 11/2 chance, TRIBAL CHIEF (Each-Way) will need to get his act together as the stalls open on the Sussex Downs, but following excellent efforts in both the Lincoln and Victoria Cup this season, the ante-post selection has a big handicap within him at some point.
Recommendation: Tribal Chief (Each-Way) - 16/1 with Betfred & Paddy Power (¼ odds, 1-2-3-4)
* 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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