Alan Kelly’s Tips
Alan heads to Pontefract and Uttoxeter on Tuesday, plus an ante-post tip for Goodwood
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Alan Kelly's Tips - Tuesday, 7 July
Along with selections for the meetings at Pontefract and Uttoxeter on Tuesday, we have an ante-post tip for the valuable Coral Golden Mile at Goodwood on the final day of this month.
1:48pm Pontefract - Black Cuillin
Pontefract's opening race looks a pretty modest nursery, the weights headed by Charlie Clover's Poppy Foxy, the winner of a Chester selling race last month before failing to make an impact in better company at Salisbury 7 days ago.
Handicapping two-year-olds is a thankless task for officials and I think an opening mark of just 56 may have put Craig Lidster's filly BLACK CUILLIN in with a good chance on her third start to date, the other two both coming on today's course.
Despite finishing last of 4 on her debut back in April, the daughter of Far Above was beaten only two and a half lengths, taking the lead 3 out only to be headed inside the final furlong. The winner Innichen was the easy winner of a nursery at Nottingham last week.
Fourth of 11 in a maiden over today's course and distance last month, Joanna Mason's mount did enough behind some promising types to suggest she could be better than a rating of 56.
Recommendation: Black Cullin - 8/1 with bet365
2:00pm Uttoxeter - Ice Jet (Nap)
Since making his handicap debut following a wind op towards the back end of last year, the four-year-old Ice Jet has hardly put a foot wrong over hurdles, losing out by a neck at Wetherby on his reappearance in March before reeling off a hat-trick of victories over the smaller obstacles.
Now running off a mark 21lb higher than when recording the first of those wins at Hereford in May, champion trainer Dan Skelton has decided to send the grey son of Phoenix Of Spain over fences for the first time. There is little doubt that Harry Skelton's mount has the greater potential of the 8 contenders for this Class 4 novices' handicap, and in receipt of weight from all of his rivals, ICE JET (Nap) is fancied to continue his winning run.
Back In The Bay from the in-form James Owen stable is another who will be making his chasing debut, but Jonathan Burke's mount has been beaten a total of 82 lengths on his last two starts over hurdles. Donald McCain's Jiair Madrik is on a hat-trick following wins here and at Worcester, but a bigger danger to Ice Jet may be that of Nicky Henderson's That's Nice, who is better than her last couple of runs would suggest.
Recommendation: Ice Jet (Nap) - 5/4 with bet365
2:48pm Pontefract - Arisaig
It's almost two years since the Charlie Johnston-trained Arisaig's last success, that victory coming in a fillies' handicap at Glorious Goodwood in 2024. The five-year-old daughter of Harry Angel is now on a losing run of 15, but has been running well enough to suggest the mare could prove the one to beat in this Listed Pipalong Stakes.
Despite that run of defeats, Jamie Spencer's mount has gone from a mark of 88 following that Goodwood success to a current rating of 102. Eighth of 15 in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, ARISAIG meets nothing of the calibre of winner Blue Bolt here, and if not inconvenienced by her draw in stall 11, can finally trouble the judge again at the 16th attempt.
Grant Tuer's Bellarchi has been in cracking form this year with 4 wins from 6 starts, the latest in a Listed race at Chester 10 days ago. Oliver Stammers' mount has to give Arisaig 3lb however, while best of the rest may be Hugo Palmer's Cheshire Dancer, who was far from disgraced when finishing 8th of 24 in Royal Ascot's Kensington Palace Stakes last time, five places in front of James Owen's Radiant Beauty.
Recommendation: Arisaig - 7/2 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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