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A decent profit of +£6.30 for the week ending Sunday, 13 September, although it ended with a poor weekend, despite 5/4 and 6/4 winning naps.
P/L for the week ending Sunday, 13 September: +£6.30
P/L for the year to date: +£166.55
P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
P/L since 1st September 2022: +£667.11
Alan Kelly's Tips - Friday, 18 September
The meetings at Ayr and Newbury feature some excellent Flat action on Friday afternoon, the ground at both courses expected to ride on the soft side of good.
3:05pm Ayr - Beautiful Diamond
The weights for this Listed fillies sprint greatly favour last year’s winner, the classy five-year-old mare BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND, one of two runners for the Karl Burke stable, the other being Lam Yai, who finished a neck second to fellow rival Catching The Moon at this meeting 12 months ago.
Since recording that comfortable success, the daughter of Twilight Son, despite failing to add to her tally of four victories to date, has been running consistently well at a high level, in particular when finishing a close third behind stablemate Night Raider and American Affair in Haydock’s Group 2 Temple Stakes.
While only managing to finish third, beaten a length on this course last time when attempting to concede weight to all 14 rivals, Pierre-Louis Jamin’s mount is expected to open her account for the season with the conditions of today’s race very much favouring the selection, along with the trip and ground.
A neck behind Beautiful Diamond on this course three months ago, and now 3lb worse off at the weights, Ed Bethell’s Fluorescence may still prove the main danger to Karl Burke’s grey mare.
Recommendation: Beautiful Diamond
4:07pm Newbury - Catullus
An excellent turnout of 10 runners for this Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup run over a trip of 7f. While it is hard to rule out any of the runners, I like the chances of one of the two Godolphin contenders, CATULLUS from the Charlie Appleby stable.
The Invincible Spirit gelding was most impressive in winning a valuable 7f handicap at Goodwood back in May and there have been genuine excuses for two subsequent defeats. Drawn on the wrong side when 10th in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot (first 6 home all drawn in single figures) before acting as pacemaker for stablemate Talk Of New York in Goodwood’s Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes.
In a way, Catullus made too good a job of his role, only giving best inside the final furlong after holding a clear lead, leaving the ⅖ favourite with too much ground to make up against eventual winner Shayem. Jockey William Buick can ride his own race on this occasion back down to 7f (both wins came over this trip) and gets the vote over the second Godolphin contender Spy Chief and Roger Varian’s Fondo Blanco.
Recommendation: Catullus - 3/1 with bet365
5:15pm Newbury - River Card (Nap)
Beaten a length by a horse now rated 106 on his two-year-old debut at Deauville last August, the Brian Meehan-trained River Card went on to win his maiden at Ascot the following month, the form of which could hardly have worked out much better.
Back in second place at the Berkshire racecourse, beaten a neck, was subsequent Derby runner-up and Grand Prix de Paris and Great Voltigeur winner Maltese Falcon, the son of Sea The Stars Arc-bound with a rating of 124.
The third horse home at Ascot, David Menuisier’s Lost Boys (rated 103), is unbeaten in four subsequent starts, most recently when justifying favouritism in Royal Ascot’s Golden Gated Stakes. The two horses bringing up the rear behind RIVER CARD (Nap) are now running off respective marks of 88 and 94. With that in mind, to say that David Egan’s mount is potentially well-treated for this Class 4 handicap off a mark of 86 would be an understatement.
Unable to produce his best of heavy ground at Longchamp on his final outing as a juvenile, the Hello Youmzain gelding, following a break of 10 months, reappeared on this course just over three weeks ago to finish fourth in a one mile handicap, looking as if he would improve plenty with the run under his belt.
The fact that River Card was allowed to go off at odds of 10/1 for that race suggests that the lightly-raced three-year-old was far from fully race-fit. Today’s extra two furlongs and good ground is sure to suit the selection, who may have most to fear from Richard Hannon’s Tambora and Perfect Scoundrel from the Amanda Perrett stable.
Recommendation: River Card (Nap)
This is Alan's Nap of the Day selection - see how it stacks up against Charlie McCann's pick too.
* 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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