Alan Kelly’s Tips

Alan heads to Southwell on Tuesday for his best bet

Updated: June 1, 2026 at 9:20 pm GMT+1

Get fresh daily selections and a standout Nap of the Day from our in-house racing expert, Alan Kelly.

Looking to boost your bets? Discover the latest betting offers from the UK's best betting sites.

For live TV action, head to our ITV Racing Tips hub for expert picks on the biggest races, and explore Ryan Moore booked rides for detailed insights on one of flat racing's most successful jockeys.

BetVictor logo
BetVictor
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Horse Racing Bets
18+ New customers only. Opt in, deposit & bet £10  or more on any Horse Racing market at minimum 1/1 odds within 7 days of registration. No cash out. Get £30 in Free Horse Racing Bets, selected markets. Free Bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.com| Please gamble responsibly

Latest Profit & Loss Figures

We enjoyed a fabulous week ending Sunday, 24 May, with a profit of +£26.58 to a £1 level stake, resulting in figures of +£70.00 for the month of May.

Refreshed following a break in the slightly cooler temperatures of Tenerife, the action moves on to Epsom this week for the Betfred Oaks and Derby, along with a fascinating Coronation Cup.

  • P/L for the week ending Sunday, 24 May: +£26.58
  • P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£139.50
  • P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
  • P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
  • P/L since 1st September 2022: +£640.16

Alan Kelly's Tips - Tuesday, 2 June

With thunderstorms forecast for much of the country on Tuesday, a watching brief is advised for the turf meetings at Pontefract on the Flat and Southwell over jumps.

While good ground is currently the case at both venues, conditions may well soften during the afternoon.


3:48pm Pontefract - Rock Opera

This will be the 117th career start for David O’Meara’s nine-year-old Aberama Gold, the gelding’s greatest success to date coming with a comfortable victory in the 2023 Stewards’ Cup. The son of Heeraat is only a shadow of his former self however, and will do well to win this Class 4 contest off top weight.

Ruth Carr’s The Good Biscuit has a decent record on this course, the mount of talented 3lb claimer Warren Fentiman a winner over the minimum trip here back in October. While Emperor Caradoc and Bravo Zulu are others with claims, the vote goes to ROCK OPERA from the Richard & Peter Fahey stable.

The six-year-old’s last victory came at Doncaster almost two years ago off a mark of 77, since when the consistent gelding has been running well in defeat. Now rated just 70, Oisin Orr’s mount has been partnered by a claimer on his last 11 outings, most recently when finishing a close fourth of 13 at Hamilton two weeks ago with fellow rivals The Good Biscuit and Aberama Gold behind.

With 5lb claimer Ethan Tindall in the saddle, Rock Opera had to be switched sharply right inside the closing stages yet was still beaten a little over a length at the finish. Prior to that run, the selection again failed to get the run of the race when finishing a length third to Emperor Caradoc at Thirsk. Now 3lb better off with Paul Midgley’s runner, Rock Opera, a close third behind subsequent Group 2 winner Elmonjed at York last summer, is fancied to take this modest sprint handicap off today’s career-low mark.

Recommendation: Rock Opera - 13/2 with bet365


4:18pm Pontefract - Zarinca  

Karl Burke’s Diamont Katie won a handicap over today’s course and distance in April with today’s rider, 5lb claimer Jack Nicholls in the saddle. Now running off a 7lb higher mark, the daughter of Acclamation is still respected, along with Paul Midgley’s D Flawless, a winner on Newcastle’s tapeta surface back in March. However, Ed Bethell’s  ZARINCA, one of two runners for the stable, has been given an excellent chance on her handicap debut with a rating of just 73.

Narrowly beaten by fellow rival Storm Esme on her debut in a Newcastle maiden back in September, the mount of Callum Rodriguez was always holding hot favourite Luna Celeste when opening her account in a 13-runner Southwell maiden five weeks ago. The runner-up gave the form a boost when going one better at Leicester last week.

The third horse home in that Southwell  race, Sandy Craic, finished a creditable 5th of 20 in a handicap at York just over a week ago, making Zarinca’s opening handicap mark look very attractive. 

Recommendation: Zarinca - 9/2 with bet365


4:30pm Southwell - Jager Time (Nap)

A winner over today’s course and distance back in February when trained by Stuart Edmunds, joint top weight Innisfree Lass has her first start for the Joey Ramsden stable today and is worth noting for any market confidence. However, I think the outcome of this extended 3m handicap hurdle is likely to concern the Dan Skelton-trained Jafimgoso and JAGER TIME (Nap) from the Fergal O’Brien stable, preference being for the latter.

The former improved for the step-up in trip when winning over 2m 5f at Ludlow recently, the first real form the Jack Hobbs gelding has shown since finishing 1st and 2nd in a couple of Bumpers two years ago. Harry Skelton's mount may well improve again for today’s extra three furlongs.

Like Jafimgoso, Jager Time showed much improved form towards the end of last year when stepped-up markedly in trip, going down narrowly in races at Southwell and Hereford before opening his account with a comfortable victory in a 16-runner 3m 1f handicap at Huntingdon.

Returning to action at Fontwell 6 months later over an extended 2m 5f, I thought the mount of 5lb claimer Fern O’Brien ran well to finish a close fourth, looking very much as if the seven-year-old would improve significantly for the run. Running off the same mark of 98, the son of Champs Elysees is fancied to get the better of the Skelton contender.

Recommendation: Jager Time (Nap) - 11/4 with bet365


* Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.


Check out more from the Freebets horse racing hub, including tips, stats, market movers and today’s racecards!

Alan Kelly’s Tips
Charlie McCann’s Tips
Lucky 15 Tips for Today & Tomorrow
Horse Racing Market Movers - Today’s Best Backed Horses
Horse Racing Stats & Trends - Today’s Key Pointers
Longest Travelled Horses Today
UK & Ireland Racecards for Today
Placepot Tips Today - Free Tote Placepot Tips for Every UK & Irish Meeting
Nap of the Day - Top Horse Racing Naps & Daily Tips

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.


Latest Horse Racing News

Betfred Scottish Grand National Offer 2026: Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets
Punchestown Festival Free Bets & Betting Offers - Day Four
BetVictor Scottish Grand National Offer 2026: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

Alan Kelly
Alan Kelly

A successful punter, with a keen eye for value, Alan has had many betting highlights down the years, including a Scoop 6 win and has shown a consistent profit in the battle with bookmakers since joining Free Bets.

Free Bets, Promo Codes and Welcome Offers

BETFRED
Betfred Sign-Up Offer and Promo Code
Read Review
Kwiff Logo
Kwiff Review, Free Bets and Betting Offers 2026
Read Review
Spreadex Sports Review & Features Insight
Read Review
bet365 logo
Bet365 Review and Feature Insights
Read Review
William Hill Sports Logo
William Hill Review & Sign Up Offer
Read Review
Best CopyBet Sign Up Offer & Bonuses 2026
Read Review
BetWay Review & User Opinion
Read Review
jeffbet Logo Webp
Jeffbet Review, Sign Up Offer & Bonuses for June 2026
Read Review
Pick your bet type
Horse Racing Offers
More Horse Racing Offers
Bet442 Sport logo
1
Bet442 Sport
Bet £20, Get £20 in Free Bets
Claim Offer
New customers only. Min £20 bet at odds 2.00+. Bets placed as Build-A-Bet / Bet Builder do not qualify. Max reward: One £10 Free Bet and two £5 Combo Free Bets. £10 Free Bet min odds 1/1 (2.00). £5 Combo Free Bets min odds 2/1 (3.0). Free Bets expire 7 days after credit. 18+. Full T&Cs apply.
Midnite logo
2
Midnite
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets
Claim Offer
18+ New customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
Jeffbet logo
3
Jeffbet
Bet £10, Get a £30 Free Bet
Claim Offer
18+| New Players Only. Min £10 qualifying bets, stake not returned. Free bet - one-time stake of £30, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Free bets and Bonuses are valid for 7 days. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Full Terms apply.
Log In
Create Account
Create Account
Are you already a member? Click here to log in
Add your personal information to create your account
At least one uppercase letter
At least one lowercase letter
Minimum 12 characters
At least one symbol
At least one number