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Latest Profit & Loss Figures
An excellent week ending Sunday, October 19th, which resulted in four winning days and featuring winners at 11/8, 11/2, 16/1, 5/1, 7/2, 2/1 and 11/4.
Four out the last seven Nap of the Day selections have obliged at odds of 7/1, 11/8, 2/1 and 11/4.
- P/L for the week ending Sunday, October 19th: +£25.83
- P/L for the year 2025 to date: +£22.66
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£508.65
Alan Kelly's Tips - Monday, October 19th
With rain forecast for Sunday and Monday, the current going description of good at Pontefract is likely to change before the meeting gets underway at 2.03pm.
3:03pm Pontefract - Shayem (Nap)
A field of only five for this Listed Silver Tankard Stakes but an interesting juvenile contest all the same in which Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien is represented by Thurles maiden winner Green Carrera. The daughter of Lope De Vega is clearly a promising filly and a good spare ride for jockey Tom Marquand.
Adrian Paul Keatley’s Rochfortbridge wasn’t disgraced in finishing fifth, beaten just two lengths, in a Group 3 race at Chantilly last month and is respected along with Ralph Beckett’s unexposed Haydock winner Morven. However, the Karl Burke stable has an excellent crop of two-year-olds this season and his SHAYEM (Nap) looks the one they all have to beat in this one mile contest.
A narrow winner at Haydock on his debut in August despite looking very green (was sent off at odds of 9/1), Clifford Lee’s mount improved to finish third in a Listed race on that course the following month behind horses now rated 114 and 102, just over a length in front of the fourth horse home, the 103-rated Glacius.
A comfortable winner over Andrew Balding's well-regarded Alfaraz in a three-runner conditions race at Epsom three weeks later, the King Of Change colt can continue the good run of the stable’s juveniles, especially with any easing in the Pontefract ground unlikely to trouble the selection.
Recommendation: Shayem (Nap) - 11/8 with William Hill
4:03pm Pontefract - Divine Comedy
The 103-rated Chemistry is the most interesting over the 5 contenders for this two and a quarter mile stamina test on his first run since leaving the Aidan O’Brien stable for that of Ivan Furtado. Last seen finishing down the field in a 2m Premier Handicap at Naas around this time last year, the Kingman gelding is likely to need this first run for a year and faces a stiff task in having to concede 10lb to Harry Eustace’s DIVINE COMEDY.
An impressive winner on soft ground at Haydock last May, the mount of Kaiya Fraser has been running consistently well in defeat since then, including when finishing second and fifth respectively in the last two Ascot Stakes at the royal meeting. Fourth in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket 9 days ago, this should be a straightforward confidence booster for Divine Comedy before the season comes to a close. While Divine Comedy is sure to go off at short odds, hopefully, the higher rated Chemistry ensures the seven-year-old opening price is not too prohibitive.
Recommendation: Divine Comedy - 4/9 with bet365
5:08pm Pontefract - Stirrup Cup
Having tipped the Tim Easterby-trained STIRRUP CUP on his last two starts, the Washington DC gelding should really be going into today’s race on the back of a couple of victories. An easy winner on soft ground at Hamilton last month, David Allan’s mount looked set to follow-up over a furlong shorter on that track seven days later, only for the post to come just in time for Jim Goldie’s nose winner Jm Jhingree.
Despite now running off a 4lb higher mark, the three-year-old still looks to be reasonably treated, and in a race where decent recent form is thin on the ground, this in-form sprinter can return to winning ways, especially if the ground, as expected, has the word soft in it. Joint top weight Dream Composer, blinkered for the first time, has an excellent record at Pontefract and may give the selection most to do with jockey Tom Marquand taking over in the saddle from 7lb claimer Shay Farmer.
Recommendation: Stirrup Cup - 4/1 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 Twitter for more racing insight.
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