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Alan Kelly's Tips - Friday, 24 July
A busy Friday with Flat meetings at Ascot and Thirsk in the afternoon along with Uttoxeter’s jumps card, while in the evening the meetings at York, Sandown and Chepstow are joined by the two Irish fixtures at Cork and Kilbeggan.
2:40pm Uttoxeter - Thickthorn Tom
After winning chases at Stratford and Worcester within the last couple of weeks, champion trainer Dan Skelton sends his six-year-old gelding THICKTHORN TOM back over the smaller obstacles in an effort to take advantage of a current hurdles mark of 95 (due to go up 7lb in the future.
Now rated 107 over fences, Harry Skelton’s mount has improved since going chasing, with a record of 3 wins and a couple of seconds on his last five starts. Whether the son of Ocovango is capable of transferring that form to hurdling remains to be seen, but the stable looks to have found an ideal opportunity in this Class 5 contest.
Mayday Games ran out a comfortable winner on his first start for Shaun Lycett at Stratford last month after showing precious little for previous trainer Clare Allam. However, a bigger danger to the selection may be that of recent course and distance winner Cawthorne Banker, although a 5lb higher mark will make things tougher for the O’Neill runner.
Recommendation: Thickthorn Tom - 15/8 with bet365
4:05pm Ascot - Al Azd
The ex John & Thady Gosden-trained Theory Of Tides finished a promising second on his first start for Jamie Osborne at Sandown earlier in the month with fellow rival Flying Frontier two places behind; the Galileo gelding looks a leading player racing off a mark only 1lb higher.
Godolphin’s Study Of Words has proved a big disappointment since winning a four-runner maiden at Newmarket last October by 15 lengths, Billy Loughnane’s mount well beaten on his last two starts at short prices. Wathnan Racing’s French Duke faces a tough task off top weight, which leaves Roger Varian’s AL AZD as the most likely winner of this Class 2 contest.
Raised 8lb for finishing a creditable half length second to Joseph O’Brien’s Enceladus in the King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap) at Royal Ascot last month, Ray Dawson’s mount looks a smart prospect for some of the valuable middle-distance handicaps over the next few months for owners Shadwell Estates.
Recommendation: Al Azd (Nap) - 11/8 with Sky Bet
5:00pm Uttoxeter - Ice Jet (Nap)
Just touched off on this course when going four a four-timer 17 days ago, Dan Skelton’s ICE JET (Nap) drops back down to today’s trip of two miles after winning those three races over distances ranging from 2m three and a half furlongs to 2m four and a half furlongs.
If anything, I think the son of Phoenix Of Spain may be better suited by this shorter trip, and fancy the four-year-old to get back to winning ways with a victory in this Arc Summer Chase Series Qualifier. Harry Skelton’s mount can jump better than he did when just failing to catch Donald McCain’s Jiair Madrik here last time after looking all over the winner from some way out.
Now running off a career-high mark of 117, I still think Ice Jet is capable of rising further up the handicap and expect the grey to prove too good for Olly Murphy’s Schmilsson and Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero’s Dog Fox.
Recommendation: Ice Jet (Nap) - 7/4 with bet365
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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