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Latest Profit & Loss Figures
An excellent week ending Sunday, 17 May with a profit of £21.78 to a £1 level stake.
Tuesday’s three selections all obliged for a 40/1 treble, while we had winners 6/4, 5/4, 12/1 and 4/1 at York’s Dante meeting along with several double-figure places.
The narrow defeat of Albert Einstein (tipped at 3/1) on Saturday prevented a run of five winning naps.
- P/L for the week ending Sunday, 17 May: +£21.78
- P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£112.92
- P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
- P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
- P/L since 1st September 2022: +£613.58
Alan Kelly's Tips - Saturday, 23 May
ITV Racing will be covering a mammoth 10 races on Saturday afternoon, five from Haydock Park, two each from Goodwood and York along with the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas from the Curragh.
The action gets underway with the 1:25pm at Goodwood and concludes two and a half hours later with the 4:05pm race at Haydock.
1:25pm Goodwood - Catullus
Richard Hughes’ Startled has every chance of defying a 7lb higher mark for the gelding’s comfortable victory at York’s Dante meeting 10 days ago. Slight preference, however, is for Godolphin's CATULLUS, who looked a smart prospect as a juvenile, the son of Invincible Spirit ending his two-year-old career in finishing fourth behind stablemate Distant Storm in Newmarket’s Group 3 Somerville Tattersalls Stakes.
Tom Marquand's mount was gelding following a couple of runs at Meydan earlier in the year; with a decent draw in stall 2, Charlie Appleby’s charge gets the vote in an open race.
Recommendation: Catullus - 8/1 with Paddy Power
1:45pm Haydock - Wemightakedlongway
If the ground remains on the soft side at the Merseyside racecourse, David Loughnane’s Sparks Fly will relish conditions, the mount of Laura Pearson far from disgraced in finishing a two length fourth behind Lambourn in Chester's Group 2 Huxley Stakes last time.
The best form on offer, however, is that of Joseph O’Brien’s WEMIGHTAKEDLONGWAY, narrowly beaten in Longchamp’s Prix De L’Opera on Arc day, along with several excellent efforts in Group 1 company, in particularly when going down by just over a length to Minnie Hawk in the Irish Oaks.
A disappointing 7th of 8 at Cork on her reappearance last month, the daughter of Australia is clearly much better than that; with that run under her belt, I expect a much improved effort from Sean Levey’s mount this time.
Recommendations: Wemightakedlongway - 10/3 with bet365
2:00pm Goodwood - Saxon Street
A 20/1 chance with both bet365 and Betfred for next month’s Betfred Derby, John & Thady Gosden’s SAXON STREET can book his place in the great race with a victory in this last significant Derby trial, although the only horse to complete the double was Troy back in 1979.
The Saxon Warrior colt is unbeaten in two starts to date, the most recent when running out the comfortable winner of Epsom’s Betfred Blue Riband Trial last month, the mount of Benoit De La Sayette having no problem handling Epsom’s undulations.
Main rivals Del Maro and Golden Story have had their limitations exposed in trials recently, so if today’s race includes a genuine Derby contender, it has to be Saxon Street.
Recommendation: Saxon Street - 8/11 with Betfred
2:20pm Haydock - Jamestown (Each-Way)
A seriously competitive renewal of this £100k Heritage Handicap featuring a field of 17 mainly unexposed three-year-olds. In a race where plenty of guesswork is needed, the vote goes to David Marnane’s Irish raider JAMESTOWN (Each-Way).
Still a maiden following three starts to date, the Ulysses gelding was unfortunate to come up against an improver in Noel Meade’s Bobby McGee this season, beaten three quarters of a length and a short head by that horse in races at Gowran Park and Naas last month.
Bobby McGee went on to land the hat-trick with a third victory at Naas last Sunday and is now rated 94. Running off a mark of 85, Jamestown looks decent each-way value at the 20/1 currently available with bet365.
Recommendation: Jamestown (Each-Way) - 20/1 with bet365 (5 places)
2:40pm York - Air Force One (Each-Way)
Following a slow start from his low draw, Geoff Oldroyd’s AIR FORCE ONE (Each-Way) could never get competitive when a well fancied 5/1 chance for a competitive 21-runner sprint handicap at York’s Dante meeting last time. The five-year-old has an excellent record on the Knavesmire, including a victory here last July.
In-form jockey Joanna Mason takes over in the saddle for the first time on the Starspangledbanner gelding, who is fancied to go close with a better start on this occasion. Drawn 16 of 21, hopefully, Air Force One is not inconvenienced by his stall position on the Knavesmire. Ruth Carr’s Reigning Profit may prove best of those with a single-figure berth.
Recommendation: Air Force One (Each-Way) - 9/1 with Coral (5 places)
2:58pm Haydock - Venetian Sun
Karl Burke’s VENETIAN SUN drops back to today’s trip of 6f after failing to get the mile in the Betfred 1000 Guineas last time. The winner of Deauville’s Group 1 Prix Morny from 2000 Guineas runner-up Gstaad last August, the daughter of Starman can make the most of her 3lb sex allowance with a victory over William Haggas’s Division, who did well to get to within half a length of fellow rival Coppull in Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup Trial after missing the break when rearing leaving the stalls.
Recommendation: Venetian Sun - 11/4 with Coral
3:15pm York - Danielle
Providing the daughter of Cracksman is fit enough on her first start since winning a Doncaster Listed by 9 lengths on heavy ground back in November, the John & Thady Gosden-trained DANIELLE should prove hard to beat in this Group 3 Bronte Cup for fillies and mares.
Danielle’s close fifth behind Kalpana in Ascot’s Group 1 Champions Fillies & Mares is way ahead of anything achieved by today’s 6 rivals.
Recommendation: Danielle - 8/11 with BetVictor
3:30pm Haydock - Night Raider
Listening to Haydock’s clerk of the course on Thursday, the expectation is that ground conditions should improve to those of good, good to soft in places by Saturday afternoon. If that proves to be the case, I think Karl Burke’s NIGHT RAIDER has a great chance of repeating his all-the-way victory in Newmarket’s Group 3 Palace House Stakes on Betfred 2000 Guineas Day.
The Dark Angel gelding has shown blistering early pace in the past before proving vulnerable at the end of his races. A gelding operation towards the end of last year could prove the making of Clifford Lee’s mount, who has the potential to take high rank in the sprinting division this season.
American Affair looked badly in need of his run at York’s Dante meeting and is one of many potential dangers along with the in-form Jakajaro, Jm Jungle and Shagraan.
Recommendation: Night Raider - 13/2 with William Hill
3:40pm Curragh - Distant Storm (Each-Way)
With no Bow Echo in opposition, Betfred 2000 Guineas runner-up Gstaad is likely to go off at very short odds in an effort to go one better than at headquarters. Third at Newmarket, eight lengths behind the Ballydoyle runner, Godolphin’s DISTANT STORM (Each-Way) faces a big task in trying to reverse that form.
The Charlie Appleby stable are in a lot better form now, however, and with that first run of the season under his belt, I expect the son of Night Of Thunder to finish a lot closer to Ryan Moore’s mount this time. Bow Echo’s winning jockey Billy Loughnane takes over on Godolphin’s first-string this afternoon, and may well prove a thorn in the side of the Ballydoyle contender once again.
Recommendation: Distant Storm (Each-Way) - 9/2 with William Hill (3 places)
4:05pm Haydock - Pole Star (Nap)
Charlie Johnston’s POLE STAR (Nap) has won on two of his three visits to Haydock Park, and looks to have another excellent opportunity in this extended 2m handicap which brings to an end ITV’s 10-race coverage for the afternoon.
A narrow winner from stablemate Novelista over 1m 6f here last June with several winners behind, Jason Hart’s mount should be spot-on now following two runs this season, the most recent when finishing third in a Heritage Handicap at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting.
Only 2lb higher than when winning at Yarmouth last summer, Pole Star is fancied to get back to winning ways at the main expense of top weight Prydwen and Jim Goldie’s lightly weighted Humble Spark.
Recommendation: Pole Star (Nap) - 7/2 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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