Alan Kelly’s Tips
Alan heads to Wetherby on Saturday for his Nap of the Day
Get daily horse racing tips from our in-house racing expert, Alan Kelly, who has spent over 40 years in the betting industry.
Looking to boost your bets? Browse the latest horse racing free bets from UK bookmakers.
Alan also highlights his strongest selection each day, so visit our Nap of the Day page to see which horse he fancies most.
Latest Profit & Loss Figures
A disappointing week ending Sunday, 25 October, which resulted in a loss of -£11.22 despite winning naps at 5/1 and 11/8 along with an opening 4/1 success on Saturday.
P/L for the week ending Sunday, 25 October: -£11.22
P/L for the year to date: +£188.38
P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
P/L since 1st September 2022: +£688.94
Alan Kelly's Tips - Saturday, 31 October
ITV Racing’s Saturday coverage features five races from Wetherby, four from Ascot and one from Down Royal in Ireland, before switching to the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland for four live races in the evening.
1.10pm Wetherby - William Cody (Each-Way)
Pam Sly’s WILLIAM CODY (Each-Way) has run many of his best races at Wetherby, most recently when beaten a neck over today’s trip back in March, the mount of Jack Andrews’ just losing out in the dying strides to winner Rath Gaul Hill after holding a clear lead jumping the final fence.
In an open race, the joint bottom weight should be competitive off today’s mark of 117. Dan Skelton’s Palamon, Tanking Along and Kahavari are the others to consider.
Recommendation: William Cody (Each-Way) - 10/1 with BetVictor (3 places)
1:25pm Ascot - Dance And Glance
Jet To Vegas opened his account over fences at the fifth time of asking with a victory at Market Rasen 5 weeks ago. Amateur Lucas Murphy is well worth his 7lb claim but I am more interested in the two horses making their chasing debuts, top weight Glynn Brae and DANCE AND GLANCE, with marginal preference for the latter.
Anthony Honeyball’s charge did well over hurdles last season, in particular when winning Haydock’s Pertemps Network Challenger Hurdle Series Final. Rex Dingle’s mount should do well over fences and can take advantage of the 9lb he receives from the Twiston-Davies runner.
Recommendations: Dance And Glance - 11/4 with bet365
1:45pm Wetherby - Kateira (Nap)
Successful in this race 12 months ago when beating a below-par Golden Ace by 28 lengths in a match, Dan Skelton’s KATEIRA (Nap) attempts to win the Listed contest for a second time. Rated at least 8lb higher than any of her four rivals, Harry Skelton’s mount had a prep for this when finishing down the field in the Welsh Champion Hurdle three weeks ago. A repeat of her 6th in the BetMGM Cup at the Cheltenham Festival on her final outing of last season should be good enough to record back-to-back wins in this 2m mares’ hurdle.
Recommendation: Kateira (Nap) - 5/4 with Paddy Power
This is Alan's Nap of the Day selection - see how it stacks up against Charlie McCann's pick.
2:00pm Ascot - Gore Point & Gabriel’s Getaway
My two against the field for this wide-open £100k Sodexo Live! Handicap Chase are the two Anthony Honeyball contenders, GORE POINT and GABRIEL’S GETAWAY. This will be the 8th run of the year for the former, who has won five of his last six starts, and while this is a big step-up in class for Sam Twiston-Davies’ mount, the six-year-old is in the form of his life and capable of defying a career-high mark of 133.
Stablemate Gabriel’s Getaway finished a close second at this meeting 12 months ago and is set to meet the winner Teddy Blue on 24lb better terms. Rex Dingle’s mount has won off a higher mark than this in the past, and if you forgive several disappointing efforts at the beginning of the year, the son of Gertaway is fancied to outrun his double-figure odds.
Recommendations: Gore Point - 10/1 with William Hill & Gabriel’s Getaway - 10/1 with Coral
2:18pm Wetherby - Lavida Adiva
A poor turnout of only 4 runners for this Grade 2 West Yorkshire Hurdle, a race in which tactics may play a significant role. Olly Murphy’s Strong Leader heads the betting, but Sean Bowen’s mount is worth opposing on his first run for almost 7 months and in having to concede 11lb to his 3 rivals.
Dan Skelton’s Take No Chances, a neck runner-up to Strong Leader in the race 12 months ago, is the obvious alternative, although it would be unwise to dismiss the other two contenders, Faye Bramley’s Paggane and LAVIDA ADIVA from the Ruth Jefferson stable.
The former won a 1m 6f handicap on the Flat at Goodwood in September and is respected with Harry Cobden in the saddle, but preference is for the northern runner, the mount of Brian Hughes. Second of 24 in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival, the seven-year-old is no forlorn hope in an intriguing contest.
Recommendation: Lavida Adiva - 8/1 with bet365
2:33pm Ascot - Califet En Vol
Ben Pauling's Henry’s Friend won this race 12 months ago off a 1lb lower mark. The nine-year-old disappointed after that success however, and the stable have gone over three weeks without a winner (as of Thursday lunchtime).
We have yet to see the best of Nicky Henderson’s CALIFET EN VOL over fences, the gelding’s one victory from 6 starts coming at Kempton back in February when comfortably beating fellow rival Viroflay in receipt of 4lb. Now 1lb better off with Paul Nicholls’ runner, Nico De Boinville’s mount could prove the one to beat if in the same kind of form.
Recommendation: Califet En Vol - 4/1 with Paddy Power
2:55pm Wetherby - Twinjets
Now with trainer Dan Skelton, the Johnny de la Hey-owned Pic d’Orhy will attempt to go one better than when finishing a length second to Djelo in this Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase 12 months ago when in the care of Paul Nicholls. Now an 11-year-old, I think Pic d’Orhy is better over a slightly shorter trip than today’s extended three miles, in which case I would rather side with the Nicholls runner TWINJETS and jockey Harry Cobden.
The son of Jet Away won on his first start for Nicholls over today’s trip at Doncaster almost three years ago. Following a break of almost a year, Twinjets won his first two starts of last season and was particularly impressive when winning a valuable 2m 4f handicap chase at Newbury by an unchallenged 10 lengths.
First time out may be a good time to catch the nine-year-old, who can prove a welcome winner for the Ditcheat team.
Recommendation: Twinjets - 6/1 with Paddy Power
3:15pm Down Royal - Fleur In The Park
An excellent renewal of this Grade 1 staying chase in which cases can be made for all of the seven runners, with the possible exception of Gordon Elliott’s second-string Croke Park, who will be seen to better advantage when dropping down into handicap company.
With most of the field almost guaranteed to come on for the run, it could be worth siding with Andrew Slattery’s FLEUR IN THE PARK, a Grade 1 winner at the Punchestown Festival back in April over 2m 4f. Cian Quirke’s mount won the Grade 2 Danoli Chase at Gowran Park four weeks ago and will strip fitter than those horses at the head of the betting, all of which have bigger targets to aim at later in the season.
Recommendation: Fleur In The Park - 7/1 with William Hill
3:30pm Wetherby - Race To Base
Another disappointing turnout with a field of only 4 runners for this two mile handicap hurdle. In a race which makes only limited appeal from a betting perspective, the tentative vote goes to the Nick Scholfield-trained RACE TO BASE.
On just his second start for the stable, Jack Quinlan’s mount finished second in Sandown’s valuable bet365 Novices’ Championship Final on the final day of last season. Racing off a 3lb higher mark, the six-year-old should be up to winning a race of this nature.
Recommendation: Race To Base - 11/8 with William Hill
3:43pm Ascot - Nap Hand (Each-Way)
Harry Fry’s unexposed Trustintimes finished 4th in a Nottingham maiden on the Flat recently, which should have put Bryan Carver’s mount spot-on for his return to hurdling. However, at a best price 5/1, I would rather back Chris Gordon’s NAP HAND (Each-Way) at a double-figure price.
The six-year-old has won two of his five starts for Gordon since leaving the Alan King stable during the summer and impressed when running out a comfortable winner at Plumpton two weeks ago off 12st. Racing off 10st 8lb today, Freddie Gordon’s mount is fancied to make the frame at the very least.
Recommendation: Nap Hand (Each-Way) - 11/1 with William Hill (5 places)
8:20pm Keeneland - Lake Forest (Each-Way)
Godolphin’s Notable Speech is clearly the one they all have to beat in this Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Charlie Appleby’s globetrotting son of Dubawi, a comfortable winner of this race 12 months ago when held at Del Mar. William Buick’s mount looked as good as ever when beating fellow rival Deterministic in the Woodbine Mile on his most recent start and deserves his place at the head of the market.
Prior to that victory at Woodbine, Notable Speech had proved too good for William Haggas’s LAKE FOREST (Each-Way) in the City Of York Stakes at the Ebor meeting. Cieren Fallon’s mount will be better suited by today’s extra furlong and has a potentially favourable draw coming out of stall 2.
The son of No Nay Never gained some experience of the Keeneland mile when runner-up to Rhetorical here four weeks ago, and if getting the run of the race on the inside, is more than capable of causing a minor upset at a double-figure price.
Recommendation: Lake Forest (Each-Way) - 11/1 with bet365 (3 places)
9:36pm Keeneland - Johanna Walsh (Each-Way)
The two Ballydoyle contenders head the betting for this Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, with Ryan Moore aboard Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini, while Christophe Soumillon retains the ride on Arc third Diamond Necklace. Following six straight wins, the daughter of St Mark’s Basilica suffered defeats at Deauville and Longchamp but is still probably the one to beat in an effort to give Aidan O’Brien an 8th victory in the race.
In a race which looks more open than the betting would suggest, I like the chances of another Irish-trained three-year-old filly in the shape of Joseph O’Brien’s JOHANNA WALSH (Each-Way). The daughter of Sea The Stars wasn’t seen at her best when 6th behind Kalpana on soft ground in the Yorkshire Oaks last time and is better judged on her runaway success in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks during the summer.
Mickael Barzalona’s mount has had a nice break since that run on the Knavesmire and is fancied to outrun her current odds of 16/1 with most bookmakers offering 4 places on the race. Nothing Willie Mullins does comes as much of a surprise, but it would be remarkable if his winner of 12 months ago, Ethical Diamond, managed to do the double. Back-to-back wins for the Closutton runner would certainly make the headlines once again with the excellent Dylan Browne McMonagle taking over in the saddle once again.
Recommendation: Johanna Walsh (Each-Way) - 16/1 with bet365 (4 places)
* Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.
Latest Horse Racing Tips, Stats & Trends
Check out more from the Freebets horse racing hub, including tips, stats, market movers and today’s racecards!
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 against the bookmakers.
Since joining Free Bets in 2008, he has helped readers find the best value each day.
You can also follow Alan Kelly on X for more racing insight.
Latest Horse Racing News
