Alan Kelly’s Tips
Alan heads to Sandown on Saturday for his best bet of the day
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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 - Saturday, 3 January
ITV Racing's coverage on Saturday afternoon features four races from Sandown Park and three from Wincanton.
1:30pm Wincanton - Kelce
Top weight Transmission has failed to make an impact this season but will enjoy the drop in Grade and now runs off the same mark of 129 as when recording his sole victory over fences at Cheltenham 14 months ago. Paul Nicholls’ Wicked Thoughts made a successful debut over fences with a narrow victory at Taunton in November and could well follow-up off a mark only 3lb higher. However, the vote goes to Transmission’s stablemate KELCE, the mount of Conor O’Farrell.
The only time the nine-year-old has disappointed in his nine start over fences was when failing to handle the heavy conditions in an amateur jockeys’ handicap at Cheltenham’s November meeting. Today’s ground should be ideal for Kelce, who looks to have excellent claims of taking this Challenger Staying Chase Series Qualifier.
Recommendation: Kelce - 9/2 with bet365
1:50pm Sandown - Triple Trade
Dan Skelton’s Jet Plane appreciated the drop in class when winning easily at Leicester last month. Harry Skelton’s mount runs off a mark 7lb higher however and is badly in with Evan Williams’ recent Cheltenham winner, Can You Call, the latter enjoying a pull of 11lb for the two and a quarter lengths which separated the pair over today’s course and distance 21 months ago.
The Williams’ stable has gone a bit cold of late, in which case this Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Chase Qualifier can go to the Joe Tizzard-trained TRIPLE TRADE. Fourth over today’s course and distance last March when failing to get competitive following a bad mistake at the first fence, Brendan Powell’s mount has run well on both of his starts this season at Cheltenham, winning the first on his reappearance, and is capable of recording a sixth victory over fences off today’s mark of 128.
Recommendation: Triple Trade - 4/1 with bet365
2:05pm Wincanton - Premier
The Warren Greatrex stable continues in good form and his four-year-old gelding PREMIER, the youngest of the 11 contenders for this Class 4 handicap hurdle, can follow-up his narrow Taunton victory of last month on his fifth start over hurdles.
Heavily backed to win on his handicap debut at Plumpton in November, Premier could only manage to finish third to Birthday Angel (won again at Wincanton 3 days later) but rewarded his supporters on his most recent start when justifying his odds of 11/8.
A winner on the flat at Bath as a juvenile, Premier is open to more improvement with jockey Sam Twiston-Davies taking over in the saddle for the first time.
Recommendation: Premier - 5/1 with Coral
2:25pm Sandown - Jubilee Alpha (Nap)
This Listed Unibet Mares’ Hurdle looks to concern the Dan Skelton-trained Nurse Susan and JUBILEE ALPHA (Nap) from the Paul Nicholls stable, the pair first and fifth respectively in a mares’ handicap hurdle at Cheltenham last month.
A mistake at the final hurdle didn’t help the claims of the Ditcheat runner at Prestbury Park (wouldn’t have won but would have finished closer), and on 12lb better terms with Harry Skelton’s mount, I expect Jubilee Alpha to reverse that form.
Held in high regard by connections, the daughter of Flemensfirth, 8th in the Dawn Run at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, should be more than capable of conceding 2lb to her five rivals.
Recommendation: Jubilee Alpha (Nap) - 5/4 with bet365
2:40pm Wincanton - Got A Dream
Highly tried as a novice (unplaced in a Haydock Grade 2), Nicky Martin’s GOT A DREAM made his handicap debut at Chepstow in October off an opening mark of 102 in what looked to be a seriously competitive 16-runner contest.
Backed into 11/4 favouritism, the seven-year-old won going away after taking up the running in the last 100 yards at the Welsh racecourse. Despite the margin of only half a length, Got A Dream followed-up with a cosy victory at Warwick the following month.
Now racing off a mark of 115, Sean Houlihan’s mount may still prove one step ahead of the handicap and is fancied to land the hat-trick at the main expense of the Paul Nicholls-trained Maldini Milano and Call Me Legend from the Hobbs/White stable.
Recommendation: Got A Dream - 11/4 with William Hill
3:05pm Sandown - Credo (Each-Way)
A competitive renewal of this popular Unibet Stayers’ Veterans’ Chase Final with a field of nine competing for the first prize of just over £51k. The in-form Anthony Honeyball stable is represented by three of the runners, including one of the market leaders in Gustavian, last seen winning Wincanton’s Badger Beers Chase two months ago.
Third in that race was Gustavian’s stablemate CREDO (Each-Way), who, on 10lb better terms, gets the vote. The Fame And Glory mare won two races at the beginning of last year with today’s rider Harry Cobden in the saddle and is expected to go well with what are probably her ideal conditions at the Esher racecourse.
Recommendation: Credo (Each-Way) - 13/2 with bet365 (3 places)
3:35pm Sandown - He’s A Latchico (Each-Way)
An open race to end ITV’s coverage in which cases can be made for all 8 runners. Dance And Glance, All In You and HE'S A LATCHICO (Each-Way) finished 1st, 2nd and 5th respectively in a competitive handicap at Ascot just before Christmas. At a double-figure price, I think Gary & Josh Moore’s bottom weight has decent claims of reversing that form on today’s revised terms.
The eight-year-old’s two previous visits to Sandown resulted in a victory in a 1m 6f handicap on the flat in the summer of 2023 before finishing second on heavy ground in a handicap hurdle later that year. Tom Queally’s mount should appreciate today’s good to soft conditions and has excellent claims of making the frame at the very least.
Recommendation: He’s A Latchico (Each-Way) - 12/1 with bet365 (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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