Alan Kelly’s Tips

Alan heads to Catterick on Thursday for his best bet

Updated: May 20, 2026 at 6:46 pm GMT+1

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Latest Profit & Loss Figures

An excellent week ending Sunday, 17 May with a profit of £21.78 to a £1 level stake.

Tuesday’s three selections all obliged for a 40/1 treble, while we had winners 6/4, 5/4, 12/1 and 4/1 at York’s Dante meeting along with several double-figure places.

The narrow defeat of Albert Einstein (tipped at 3/1) on Saturday prevented a run of five winning naps.

  • P/L for the week ending Sunday, 17 May: +£21.78
  • P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£112.92
  • P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
  • P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
  • P/L since 1st September 2022: +£613.58


Alan Kelly's Tips - Thursday, 21 May

Flat racing has the scene to itself on Thursday courtesy of the afternoon cards at Haydock Park, Musselburgh and Catterick, while in the evening the Chepstow fixture is joined by all-weather racing at Southwell.


3:40pm Catterick - Nightsinwhitesatin (Nap)

David O’Meara’s Percy’s Daydream made all of the running to record a comfortable victory over 1m 2f at Doncaster last month. The daughter of Sir Percy won over this trip at Leicester last summer and is clearly capable of going well off today’s mark of 79. David Nolan’s mount likes to dictate matters from the front and may not get her own way with Sir Mark Prescott’s Analogical expected to race up with the pace.

I’m not convinced the Ulysses gelding is the ideal ride for an inexperienced jockey, in which case the mount of 7lb claimer Poppy Scott is passed over in favour of the Ed Bethell-trained NIGHTSINWHITESATIN (Nap). The grey daughter of Dark Angel has been running well in defeat since winning races at Nottingham and Newbury last August.

Narrowly beaten over today’s trip on her reappearance at Thirsk last month, the four-year-old filly was sent off favourite for an apprentice handicap at Chester two weeks ago in the hands of 7lb claimer Toby Moore, the pair finishing a close fourth after failing to get the clearest of runs.

The experienced Callum Rodriguez is back in the saddle this afternoon and off the same mark of 79 I expect Nightsinwhitesatin to open her account for the season at the third attempt.

Recommendation: Nightsinwhitesatin (Nap) - 11/8 with bet365


4:15pm Catterick - Musical Soldier

Jockey Callum Rodriguez has some decent mounts on Catterick’s card, in particular today’s nap selection Nightsinwhitesatin 35 minutes earlier. Rodriguez rides MUSICAL SOLDIER for trainer Olly Sangster in this three-year-old 7f handicap, the Soldier’s Call gelding successful over today’s trip at Wolverhampton earlier in the month.

A change of tactics seemed to suit a horse who had failed to make the frame on his previous six starts, on this occasion when taking an early lead from which he never looked in much danger in the hands of Hollie Doyle. With the plum draw in stall one at the North Yorkshire racecourse, I expect Rodriguez to try and take advantage of the rails position from the word go in an attempt to follow-up off a 5lb higher mark.

In a race lacking much in the way of decent recent form, Hugo Palmer’s South Coast Star and talented 5lb claimer Jack Nicholls may be the one to cause the selection most problems.

Recommendations: Musical Soldier - 11/4 with Ladbrokes


4:38pm Haydock - Woolisle

A tightly-knit three-year-old sprint handicap with only 6lb covering all 13 runners. Tim Easterby’s handicap debutante Stoneacre Joe was an unfancied 100/1 chance on his first start at three when beating all bar another rank outsider in Kevin Frost’s Flight Control in a well-contested novice stakes at Doncaster last month.

Runner-up again on his most recent start, Ryan Sexton’s mount may have faced a decent rival in Karl Burke’s promising Railwayman in an Ayr maiden earlier in the month, the pair clear of the rest of the field. An opening handicap mark of 75 may have underestimated the ability of the Showcasing gelding, who is respected along with the Kevin Ryan-trained pair of There’s A Chance and Showtown, while Kevin Frost’s Explosive Finnish should go well following a couple of decent efforts in defeat this season.

The vote, however, goes to WOOLISLE from the Heather Main stable. Unlike most of her rivals, Cieren Fallon’s mount is proven of soft ground, the daughter of Ardad a winner under similar conditions at Nottingham on her final start at two.

Prior to that two and three quarter length success at Colwick Park, Woolisle finished an excellent second in a heavy-ground nursery on that course six days earlier, beating all bar Richard Hughes’ Startled off level weights. That horse, now rated 85, ran out a comfortable winner of a valuable handicap at York’s Dante meeting last week. Providing Woolisle is fit enough on her first outing for seven months, the filly looks very well treated off a mark of just 73, and with conditions to suit.

Recommendation: Woolisle - 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 Freebets.com in 2008.

You can follow Alan Kelly on X for more racing insight.


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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.

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