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Only another 359 days to the Cheltenham Festival, last week’s four days at Prestbury Park once again proving memorable for both the right and wrong reasons. The playground spat between Nico de Boinville and amateur Declan Queally was the headline act in the embarrassment stakes, while the less said about a plethora of farcical starts the better.
The most memorable moments, however, were of the equine variety, in particular Gaelic Warrior’s silky-smooth Gold Cup victory, while on a personal level, Il Etait Temps produced the Champion Chase performance I was both expecting and hoping for in equal measures. With those memories fresh in the mind, 359 days seems a very long time to wait for the next instalment. Never mind, only a couple of weeks before the start of the turf flat season?
From a betting perspective, Wednesday was the undoubted highlight, with winners at 5/1, 15/2 and 11/1. It was a case of what might have been following the fall (stumble) of The Yellow Clay three-out in the BetMGM Gold Cup when coming to join eventual (easy) winner Jingko Blue. The possible result of my each-way accumulator on the four is a mystery that will forever remain a matter of conjecture. After going into Thursday with a profit of over £25, we managed to give most of it back, Cheltenham Festival week ending with a profit of +£8.70.
- P/L for the week ending Sunday, 15 March: +£8.70
- P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£78.87
- P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£579.53
Alan Kelly's Tips - Thursday, 19 March
The weather looks pretty settled for Thursday’s jumps card in Britain at Sedgefield and Ludlow, the ground at both courses a mixture of good and good to soft.
3:10pm Sedgefield - Cosmic Soul (Nap)
Conditional jockey William Maggs retains the ride on the Patrick Neville-trained COSMIC SOUL (Nap) in this novices’ limited handicap hurdle, the pair successful on this course last week, for which the six-year-old escapes a 7 lb penalty, the amount the Sea The Stars gelding is due to go up in the future.
The injured Brian Hughes was due to take the ride today on a horse who should have little trouble following up last week’s length and a quarter victory over Jennie Candlish’s favourite Captain Cool with the third horse home some 18 lengths away.
Prior to that success at the popular County Durham racecourse, Cosmic Soul had won an extended 2m flat handicap on Southwell’s all-weather surface. On just his sixth start over hurdles, and with the potential of even more improvement to come over today’s trip of 2m 4f, the selection looks the best bet on today’s Sedgefield card. The 3lb claim of his talented conditional rider is yet another plus.
Of Cosmic Soul’s 10 rivals, the most interesting is the Greenall/Guerriero runner Nevershedatear, who makes her handicap debut following three runs at big prices in novice company. Any market move for Toby Wynn’s mount should be noted.
Recommendation: Cosmic Soul (Nap) - 11/8 with bet365
4:10pm Sedgefield - It’s Maisy
Raised just 3lb for winning a Go North Brindisi Breeze Series Qualifier at Catterick last month, Joanne Foster’s Dillarchie will be fancied to follow up in the hands of jockey Sean Quinlan once again. However, despite a pull of only 4lb for finishing a 12 and a quarter length fourth behind Dillarchie at the North Yorkshire track, I fancy the Parkinson/Smith-trained IT'S MAISY to overturn that form.
While there is little doubt that the mount of Danny McMenamin has been disappointing this season, beaten on all five starts at odds ranging from 6/5 to 4/1, the eight-year-old mare is beginning to look very well treated off a mark of 92, her lowest for two years.
An excellent fourth off 98 in a much better race than this at Uttoxeter 12 months ago, the daughter of Sageburg could well be suited by today’s step-up to 3m 3f for the first time (has won over 3m 1f plus) and in a race which will take little winning.
Recommendation: It’s Maisy - 11/4 with bet365
4:20pm Ludlow - Walkadina
The David Pipe stable is in decent form at the moment, and while the Pond House team had no luck with their two runners at last week’s festival, Kingston Queen ran really well to finish 8th of 22 in Thursday’s Grade 2 Dawn Run. An easy winner on her hurdling debut at Uttoxeter 16 months ago, the seven-year-old mare WALKADINA has failed to trouble the judge in seven subsequent starts.
The daughter of Doctor Dino has been running consistently well however, in particular when looking all over the winner over 2m on this course in December, only to be worried out of it by Evan Williams’ Tour Ovalie in the closing stages. Fifth on her only try at today’s trip of 2m 5f, when holding every chance until jumping the final hurdle at Cheltenham’s November meeting, a performance more down to the soft conditions than a lack of stamina from Jack Tudor’s mount.
Narrowly beaten on both of her visits to Ludlow, Walkadina would certainly not be winning out of turn. Alan King’s Don't Mind If I Do may prove the main danger to the Pipe mare, along with Paul Nicholls’ Byzantium and course winner Windsor Blue.
Recommendation: Walkadina - 5/1 with bet365
Grand National (Antepost) - Final Orders (Each-Way)
With less than a month to go before the 2026 renewal of Aintree’s Randox Grand National, a good time to try and pinpoint a bit of early value in the ante-post market for the world’s most famous steeplechase. At the 50/1 currently available with William Hill about Gavin Cromwell’s Final Orders, I think last week’s Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase winner is way overpriced for the extended 4m 2f test of jumping and stamina.
Currently standing at number 40 in the pecking-order and with a maximum permitted field of 34, the 10-year-old is not guaranteed his place, but with several doubtful runners higher up in the handicap I will be surprised if the Camelot gelding ends up as one of the reserves. A greater doubt revolves around possible ground conditions at the Merseyside racecourse on April 11th, as Final Orders needs decent going to produce his best form.
With current top weight I Am Maximus (winner in 2024) a certain runner barring accidents, Final Orders has a lovely racing weight of just 10st 5lb. Five of the first 12 winners of the race in the 21st century were 10-year-olds, and while Cheltenham's cross country chase has only been going since 2005, dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll won that unique three miles five and a half furlong contest in both of the years he was victorious at Aintree.
Of Final Orders’ seven successes over fences, five came over distances ranging from two to three miles, showing the kind of versatility needed to win a race requiring both pace and stamina in equal measures (also a winner over 1m 4f on the flat). If conditions are similar at Aintree to those of last week (good to soft), a reproduction of his comfortable victory over favourite Favori De Champdou would give the selection a much better chance of emulating Tiger Roll than his current odds would indicate.
Recommendation: Final Orders (Each-Way) - 50/1 with Unibet (4 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.
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