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Despite an excellent day on Wednesday, including a 6/1 winning nap, it was a week of hard lines and bad luck, starting with the fall of our 13/8 nap Grain Trade at Market Rasen on Tuesday, the horse stumbling after jumping the last with the race won.
The most frustrating, however, was the performance of 17/2 chance All In You in Saturday's Scottish Champion Hurdle, James Bowen's mount still cruising behind leader Tutti Quanti, only to be almost brought down by the favourite at the second last. A bit of good fortune in the week ahead would be very welcome.
- P/L for the week ending Sunday, 19 April: -£8.57
- P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£48.78
- P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£549.44
Alan Kelly's Tips - Friday, 24 April
A busy Friday for horse racing with five meetings in Britain and two in Ireland, the highlight being Sandown's fixture featuring three Group races.
1:20pm Sandown - Old Is Gold
A competitive three-year-old sprint handicap to kick-start an excellent afternoon of Flat action at the Esher racecourse. Roger Varian’s Calico Blue is on a hat-trick following a couple of wins at Chester on his final two starts as a juvenile last summer. The son of Calyx is likely to come on for today’s run, the colt’s first for 10 months.
Robert Cowell’s Atticum and Hypnotised from the Harry Charlton stable are worth noting for any market support, although the latter has not had a winner for over 80 days. Of more interest is Ed Walker’s Black Star Boy, who wasn’t disgraced in finishing 8th in York’s Rockingham Stakes on his final outing at two, despite pulling too hard in the early stages of the race.
However, both owner Wathnan Racing and trainer Andrew Balding have made a good start to the season and their Mehmas gelding OLD IS GOLD looks the type to do well in this division in the months ahead, James Doyle's mount possibly capable of making his mark at Listed level.
After opening his account with a victory in Beverley’s Two-Year-Old Trophy last May, Old Is Gold finished a respectable 8th in Royal Ascot’s Windsor Castle Stakes as the 7/2 favourite. A close third under a big weight in a nursery at Glorious Goodwood, the selection ended the year in a nursery at York's Ebor meeting when always on the back foot following a poor start.
Gelded shortly afterwards, Old Is Gold begins his three-year-old campaign with a potentially lenient mark of 87.
Recommendation: Old Is Gold - 9/2 with William Hill
2:05pm Perth - Upfordebate & Busty Boy
Perth’s Highland National looks an open affair, the two horses heading the weights rated just 125 for what is a below-par renewal of this extended 3m 6f stamina test. The booking of Sean Bowen for Daragh Burke’s BUSTY BOY takes the eye, the consistent nine-year-old runner-up in the race 12 months ago off a 3lb lower mark. Busty Boy has been campaigned over distances ranging from 2m 4f to 3m since then and will appreciate today’s marathon test.
In receipt of weight from all of his rivals, I will also back Patrick Neville’s UPFORDEBATE, the mount of 3lb claimer William Maggs. Four from 9 since going chasing, the seven-year-old ran a stormer in defeat at Carlisle last month following a couple of disappointing efforts and looks the type to be suited by this kind of extreme trip.
Recommendations: Upfordebate - 9/1 with William Hill & Busty Boy - 11/2 with Betfred
2:25pm Sandown - Saddadd (Each-Way)
Runner-up to Owen Burrows’ promising Gethin in Kempton’s Listed Magnolia Stakes earlier in the month, I think Godolphin’s Devil’s Advocate, while clearly useful, is open to less improvement than several of his rivals in this Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes.
Andrew Balding’s Almeric and King Of Cities, now with Karl Burke after leaving previous trainer Richard Hannon at the end of last year, are closely matched based on the form of last year’s Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket when a length separated the pair, the former just coming out on top in a rough race.
It is no surprise to see Almeric much preferred of the two in the early betting exchanges, the grey son of Study Of Man an impressive winner of Ayr’s Doonside Cup at the Western meeting before failing to match strides with the likes of Calandagan and Ombudsman in Ascot’s Champion Stakes on his most recent start.
While Oisin Murphy’s mount is probably the one to beat in this Group 3 contest, I would rather back the Roger Varian-trained SADDADD (Each-Way) as I think there is a lot more to come from Ray Dawson’s mount. The Pinatubo colt justified favouritism on his handicap debut when winning Newbury’s London Gold Cup last May, a race which has thrown-up a number of Group 1 performers in recent years.
A close third in Goodwood’s Listed Foundation Stakes on his final start of last season, Saddadd has a few pounds to find with several of today’s rivals but this well-regarded colt is fancied to outrun his current odds.
Recommendation: Saddadd (Each-Way) - 6/1 with Paddy Power (2 places)
3:00pm Sandown - Field Of Gold (Nap)
A cracking renewal of this Group 2 Bet365 Mile, in reality a Group 1 in disguise, the field of 6 headed by last season’s impressive Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner FIELD OF GOLD (Nap). The grey son of Kingman blotted his copybook somewhat on his final two starts of the season when beaten in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes and Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes at Ascot.
We clearly didn’t see the Juddmonte-owned colt at his best in the second half of last season, and with the Gosden stable in the form of its life at the moment, I will be disappointed if we don’t see the real Field Of Gold turn up for this early season treat of a race.
Colin Keane’s mount is unlikely to have things all his own way however as he faces a potentially top class rival in Karl Burke's unbeaten Zeus Olympios. Unraced at two, the Night Of Thunder colt had little trouble in winning all four starts at three, culminating in a comfortable victory over fellow rival Opera Ballo in Newmarket’s Group 2 Joel Stakes.
While Cicero’s Gift. Opera Ballo, Dancing Gemini and Never So Brave would all be capable of winning an average renewal of this race, the 3lb which Field Of Gold receives from Zeus Olympios swings the balance in favour of the Clarehaven Stables contender in what may prove to be something of a match between a couple of outstanding colts.
Recommendation: Field Of Gold (Nap) - 5/4 with bet365
3:35pm Sandown - Action
I think there is every chance that this Group 3 Bet365 Classic Trial could prove to be a significant clue regarding the outcome of the most famous Flat race in the world at Epsom in six weeks time. Several of the 7 runners for this Derby Trial hold entries in the Dante at York, in particular Ballydoyle’s Action, Raaheeb from the Owen Burrows’ stable and John & Thady Gosden’s Wise Prince. I expect the winner of today’s race to end up on the Knavesmire next month before heading to Epsom with realistic claims of Classic victory.
The Gosden stable couldn't be in better form at the moment, and in Wise Prince they have a potentially exciting prospect on their hands following the colt’s impressive victory at Nottingham on his only start at two. Today’s trip of 1m 2f should be fine for the son of Ghaiyyath, although there are doubts regarding the extra two furlongs of the Derby.
Raaheeb had little trouble in winning a soft-ground maiden at Ascot on his debut in September and is clearly held in high regard. However, the strongest form on offer is that of Aidan O’Brien’s William Hill Futurity runner-up ACTION. Despite winning only one of his four starts at two, the son of Frankel looked a smart prospect, especially when stepping up to middle distances.
The heavy ground, when beaten half a length by stablemate Hawk Mountain at Doncaster, was hardly ideal for Ryan Moore’s mount, who could be worth backing at the 16/1 currently available with Coral for Epsom in anticipation of a big run this afternoon. In a recent trainer file O’Brien was quoted as saying, regarding Action, “he’ll be trained for a Derby. I’d imagine it’ll be Epsom as he looks an Epsom type.”
Recommendation: Action - 6/4 with William Hill (Ante-Post 16/1 with Coral for the Derby)
* 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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