Alan Kelly’s Tips
Horse Racing tips for the meetings at Cheltenham & Musselburgh on New Year’s Day
Get fresh daily selections and a standout Nap of the Day from our in-house racing expert, Alan Kelly.
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Latest Profit & Loss Figures
Not the best of weeks in the lead up to the Christmas period with a loss of -£10.89.
Impose Toi advertised his Stayers Hurdle claims with a victory in Saturday’s Long Walk Hurdle and still looks decent value at the 8/1 currently available with bet365.
Held-up right at the back in a slowly run race, Saturday’s nap Mondo Man was always going to struggle in an effort to make up the ground, but there is a decent handicap to be won with Gary & Josh Moore’s charge this season.
- P/L for the week ending Sunday, 21 December: -£10.89
- P/L for the year 2025 to date: +£45.02
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£531.01
Alan Kelly's Tips - Thursday, 1 January
New Year’s Day features five jumps meetings in Britain and two in Ireland, along with all-weather cards at Southwell and Newcastle.
ITV cameras will feature four races from the principal meeting at Cheltenham and two from Musselburgh in Scotland. Ditcheat trainer Paul Nicholls is expected to make a good start to 2026 with fancied contenders at both venues.
12:50pm Cheltenham - Regent's Stroll (Nap)
Narrowly beaten in a Grade 1 novices’ hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting, I thought Paul Nicholls’ REGENT'S STROLL (Nap) ran a cracker on his chasing debut at Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup meeting, despite managing to finish only third of the six runners behind Jamie Snowden’s Wendigo.
Jockey Harry Cobden had his work cut out to restrain the hard-pulling son of Walk In The Park, who looked like falling in a heap when headed 3 out at the Berkshire racecourse. Despite using up so much early energy, the seven-year-old, surprisingly, stuck to his task well, going down by a little over six lengths at the end of the two and a half mile contest.
Attempting to make all of the running at a more reasonable pace 18 days later at Wincanton, Regent’s Stroll proved far too good for sole rival Jeriko Du Reponet, a decent prospect in his own right. While the selection has to concede 5lb to that horse’s talented stablemate Califet En Vol, I expect Regent’s Stroll to prove up to the task before going on to better things.
Recommendation: Regent's Stroll (Nap) - 11/10 with William Hill
1:25pm Cheltenham - Inch House (Each-Way)
Following a promising first run of the season when 6th of 18 on the Old Course at the October meeting, I backed the Paul Nicholls-trained INCH HOUSE (Each-Way) at a big price for Newbury’s prestigious Coral Gold Cup five weeks later. Unlike at Cheltenham where Inch House made much of the running until lack of condition told late on, the well-supported 12/1 chance could never get competitive at Newbury after making a mistake at the first fence.
Now running off a mark 1lb lower than when winning at Newbury just over two years ago for the O’Neill stable, Inch House is a well-handicapped horse on his best form and with a better start on this occasion is fancied to go close. Sixth in the Coral Gold Cup, Sam Thomas’s Katate Dori has strong claims, although the stable has had a few horses run badly recently.
Anthony Honeyball’s Jasmin De Grugy was a disappointing favourite when finishing a well beaten fourth in Newcastle’s Rehearsal Chase last time but is better than that and the other one to consider.
Recommendation: Inch House (Each-Way) - 17/2 with William Hill (3 places)
2:00pm Cheltenham - Riskintheground (Each-Way)
After leaving the Milton Harris stable for that of Paul Nicholls two years ago, the nine-year-old Twinjets, despite winning on his debut for the Ditcheat stable, disappointed on his next four starts before reappearing at Fontwell in October following a break of 330 days.
The Jet Away gelding returned to something like his best in making all of the running to beat the Skelton’s Etalon, who would go on to win a valuable handicap at Ascot just before Christmas. Harry Cobden’s mount was even more impressive on his next start when defying a 4lb higher mark to win unchallenged at Newbury. A rise of 7lb for that 10 length victory does not seem too harsh and this £100k Premier Handicap looks to have been the gelding’s target since that latest success.
Faye Bramley’s December Gold Cup winner Glengouly is sure to take on Twinjets for the lead off his low weight, while Jungle Boogie, Matata and Il Ridoto are others who enjoy racing up front. In a race which could be run to suit something coming from off the pace, the vote goes to RISKINTHEGROUND (Each-Way) from the Dan Skelton stable.
Harry Skelton’s mount came from the back to win the Grade 2 Silver Trophy over today’s course and distance at the April meeting. Back to a more suitable trip after weakening to finish 9th in the 3m 2f Coral Gold Cup last time, Riskintheground is sure to be staying on when others have had enough.
Recommendation: Riskintheground (Each-Way) - 8/1 with bet365 (3 places)
2:15pm Musselburgh - Insurrection (Each-Way)
Nicky Richards’ The Kalooki Kid won the valuable Scottish Champion Chase over today’s course and distance in February off a mark of 131. Now rated 139, the mount of Danny McMenamin will improve for his first run of the season when finishing a close last of four at Carlisle in a Listed intermediate chase two months ago.
The Russell/Scundamore-trained Jet To Vegas makes his handicap debut on his third start over fences, the Jet Away gelding beaten three lengths by Boxing Day’s Group 1 Kauto Star runner-up Thomas Mor at Ascot on his most recent start. While both The Kalooki Kid and Jet To Vegas head the betting for this £50k handicap, I would rather back the Paul Nicholls contender INSURRECTION (Each-Way) at the 7/1 available with Paddy Power.
The son of Getaway races off a mark 5lb higher than when beating Dan Skelton’s odds-on favourite Asta La Pasa by 16 lengths over today’s course and distance 11 months ago. Far from disgraced when 8th of 19 behind stablemate Caldwell Potter in the Grade 2 Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, Freddie Gingell’s mount can go close with a similar effort.
Recommendation: Insurrection (Each-Way) - 7/1 with Paddy Power (3 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 Twitter for more racing insight.
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