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Latest Profit & Loss Figures
Following a frustrating start, we ended Royal Ascot week with an excellent profit of +£20.03 to a £1 level stake. Friday and Saturday saw winners at 13/8, 2/1, 4/1, 5/1 and 16/1, although three selections beaten in photos on the final day prevented what could have been an outstanding end to what has been a memorable week for the sport.
- P/L for the week ending Sunday, 21 June: +£20.03
- P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£175.53
- P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£676.19
Alan Kelly's Tips - Thursday, 25 June
The meetings at Newmarket and Nottingham will have early starts on Thursday due to the extreme weather forecast for the afternoon.
With slightly cooler temperatures in the north, the cards at Newcastle in the afternoon and Hamilton and Leicester in the evening should go ahead without any problems.
12:45pm Newmarket - Aalto
While it is unlikely that he would have troubled easy winner Extremely Zain at York 12 days ago, the Ian Williams-trained AALTO had no chance whatsoever after failing to get anything like a clear run throughout the last couple of furlongs, jockey Ryan Moore easing his mount down inside the closing stages.
In finishing 14th of the 19 runners, the six-year-old still ended the race only five lengths behind runner-up Andesite. The handicapper has been very kind in dropping the Zelzal gelding 2lb for what turned out to be a non-event for a horse who comes alive at this time of year.
The winner of Newmarket’s Bunbury Cup two years ago, Aalto came within a nose of following-up 12 months later, deprived by a horse, More Thunder, who is now very much a Group 1 performer (rated 23lb higher). With Moore back in the saddle once again, connections will be looking for some compensation for Aalto, prior to another attempt at next month’s Bunbury Cup. Drawn 1 in a field of 11, the selection is unlikely to encounter traffic problems this time in a race where the main dangers are likely to come in the shape of the John & Thady Gosden-trained Mudbir and James Fanshawe’s Philanthropist.
Recommendation: Aalto - 10/3 with bet365
3:12pm Newcastle - Eternal Force
I thought the William Haggas-trained ETERNAL FORCE had a big chance in last week’s Royal Hunt Cup, only for the Dubawi gelding to miss the cut. Had Tom Marquand’s mount won at Hamilton a couple of weeks earlier instead of losing out by the narrowest of margins, a 5lb penalty would have seen the four-year-old among the runners for that historic handicap.
Rerouted to this £35k Scarborough Handicap on Newcastle’s Tapeta surface, Eternal Force looks to have strong claims off a mark of 88 providing this step-up to a mile and a quarter does not stretch the stamina of the Newmarket challenger (finished 4th of 5 on only previous attempt in a Nottingham maiden around this time last year).
This will be Eternal Force’s first try on an artificial surface, although there is no reason to believe that the selection will fail to act on the all-weather (dam 1 from 1 on the surface). The main dangers to Eternal Force may come from John & Thady Gosden’s Jolly Jack Tar, not seen since finishing down the field in Goodwood’s Chesterfield Cup last summer and Richard & Peter Fahey’s Rainbow Nebula, the mount of talented 3lb claimer Warren Fentiman.
Recommendation: Eternal Force - 11/8 with bet365
3:47pm Newcastle - Back In Black (Nap)
Trainer James Fanshawe has his horses in fine form at the moment and his BACK IN BLACK (Nap) is expected to take plenty of beating in this one mile Seaton Delavel Stakes. While the son of Dark Angel is now on a losing run of six, the grey has been running well in defeat, in particular when finishing 4th of 24, beaten just over a length, in Newbury’s Spring Cup on his reappearance in April.
Daniel Muscutt’s mount will be racing on the all-weather for just the second time, the first coming at Kempton Park back in November prior to being gelded. Holding every chance until inside the closing stages, Back In Black lost nothing in defeat in finishing fourth behind a couple of decent horses in Chancellor and Sarab Star.
Racing off the same mark of 94, this looks a good opportunity for the four-year-old to open his account for the season. Simon & Ed Crisford’s Treble Tee, sixth in last year’s Cambridgeshire, will appreciate the return to handicap company after failing to make an impact at Listed level on the opening day of the Flat season at Doncaster. Best of the rest is Ralph Beckett’s El Matador.
Recommendation: Back In Black (Nap) - 5/2 with bet365
* 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.
You can follow Alan Kelly on X for more racing insight.
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