Alan Kelly’s Horse Racing Tips
Horse racing tips for Newmarket, Leopardstown & Epsom on Thursday
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Alan Kelly’s Horse Racing Tips
Along with the first day of Newmarket’s July meeting there are another four flat cards taking place in Britain on Thursday, Doncaster and Carlisle in the afternoon and Newbury and Epsom in the evening.
There is also an excellent meeting at Leopardstown in Ireland featuring a Group 3 race for fillies and mares along with a valuable handicap run over nine furlongs.
Nap - Mississippi River (7:20pm Leopardstown)
Ballydoyle’s Lope De Vega colt is fancied to outclass his rivals in this valuable handicap before stepping-up into Graded company as the season develops.
3:00pm Newmarket - Prince Of India (Each-Way)
A hugely competitive field of 18 for this £100k Heritage Handicap run over six furlongs. At odds of 6/1, the Roger Teal-trained Hucklesbrook heads the market following his victory off a 8lb lower mark in a similar race at York last month. The booking of jockey Ryan Moore for the Aclaim gelding is also a big plus.
However, at the 14/1 currently available with Betfred, plus five places, Marco Botti’s PRINCE OF INDIA (Ech-Way) makes plenty of appeal. Beaten a length by Hucklesbrook at Leicester on his most recent start, Marco Ghiani’s mount now meets that horse on 12lb better terms. While the latter has clearly improved since that run back in May, Prince Of India is open to plenty more improvement and goes into this valuable contest off a potentially lenient mark of 87.
Three places behind Prince Of India at Leicester was the Jack Channon-trained Crestofdistinction, a wide margin winner at Wolverhampton recently, and despite being 4lb well-in under a 6lb penalty, still meets the selection on 3lb worse terms. Top weight Invictus Gold, Realign, Double Rush and American Style are others to consider in an open race.
Recommendation: Prince Of India (Each-Way) - 14/1 with Betfred (5 places)
5:20pm Newmarket - Parole d’Oro
There were plenty of hard luck stories at last month’s royal meeting, one of which was the troubled passage encountered by the Michael Bell-trained PAROLE D'ORO in the 30-runner Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) on Gold Cup day. The Without Parole colt did well to finish as close as 8th, beaten less than five lengths, after being repeatedly denied a clear run inside the last couple of furlongs.
Running off the same mark of 92 today, Hector Crouch’s mount can take this Class 3 handicap granted a trouble-free run on this occasion. This will be just the fifth career start for Parole d’Oro, who has the scope to prove better class than his 11 rivals in this £30k contest.
Recommendation: Parole d’Oro - 12/5 with PricedUp
7:20pm Leopardstown - Mississippi River (Nap)
On the face of it, this valuable nine furlong handicap looks a wide-open affair in which cases can be made for many of the 15 runners, in particular Slieve Binnian, Love Billy Boy, State Actor and Coeur d’Or, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th respectively in a Premier Handicap at the Curragh towards the end of last month.
The powerful Ballydoyle stable of Aidan O’Brien are represented by the three-year-old MISSISSIPPI RIVER (Nap), the mount of Wayne Lordan, with Ryan Moore over at Newmarket for six rides including two for his retainers. After making all of the running for a comfortable victory on this course last month, the Lope De Vega colt was supported into 6/4 favouritism to follow-up in a handicap at the Curragh recently, but found the concession of 17lb to Dermot Weld’s Sujet a step too far.
When you consider that the Juddmonte-owned son of Frankel got to within four lengths of subsequent Irish Derby runner-up Serious Contender on the final of his three starts at two, going down by just over a length to Sujet on those terms at the Curragh could put Mississippi River into the category of Listed or Group performer.
Recommendation: Mississippi River (Nap) - 4/1 with Paddy Power
7:35pm Epsom - Kisskodi
This Jockey Club Grassroots Sprint Series Qualifier features a couple of old-timers in the 10-year-old Spanish Star and the year older David O’Meara-trained Muscika. The two veterans look to have their work cut out against three horses from the classic generation, in particular the hat-trick seeking KISSKODI from the Harry Eustace stable.
The Kodi Bear gelding needed the help of the stewards on his most recent start when second past the post in a 6f handicap at Leicester last month. With the winner Cindy Lou Who hanging badly to her right in the final furlong, it was little surprise to see the first two placings reversed in the stewards’ room.
Kisskodi had previously recorded a comfortable victory at Brighton after just being touched off in a qualifier at Haydock Park in May. Racing off a mark of 73, along with the 7lb claim of apprentice Jack Nicholls, the selection can teach his older rivals a thing or two. Another three-year-old, Charles Hills’ Shiplake, will be having his first start on turf but may prove to be the main danger to Kisskodi.
Recommendation: Kisskodi - 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.
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