Get fresh daily selections and a standout Nap of the Day from our in-house racing expert, Alan Kelly.
Looking to boost your bets? Discover the latest betting offers from the UK's best betting sites.
For live TV action, head to our ITV Racing Tips hub for expert picks on the biggest races, and explore Ryan Moore booked rides for detailed insights on one of flat racing's most successful jockeys.
A fabulous Goodwood Festival but far from Glorious from a betting perspective.
On a course where luck plays a significant role, lady fortune was not on our side over the five days, our final 4/1 selection We’re Goosers (backed into 11/8) looked to be coming with a winning run when hampered several times inside the closing stages before finishing a close third.
P/L for the week ending Sunday, 2 August: -£12.52
P/L for the year 2026 to date: +£149.88
P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
P/L since 1st September 2022: +£650.54
Alan Kelly's Tips - Saturday, 8 August
While Shergar Cup Day at Ascot meeting wouldn’t be among my favourite weekends of the Flat season, there are still winners to be found.
Along with the six races at the Berkshire racecourse, ITV Racing will also cover two races from Haydock Park and one from Newmarket.
1:35pm Ascot - All Ways Glamorous
This minimum trip will be on the sharp side for leading contenders Tuco Salamanca and Bolo Neighs, unlike Christopher Mason’s hat-trick seeking ALL WAYS GLAMOROUS, whose form over today’s course and distance reads 2-3-1. While the Cable Bay gelding will need to defy a career-high mark of 97 if he is to take this Shergar Cup Dash, I think the bang-in-form five-year-old has every chance of proving up to the task.
Recommendation: All Ways Glamorous - 7/1 with Coral
1:55pm Newmarket - Nuit d’Eclair
NUIT D'ECLAIR and Harlequin Sky both failed to get clear runs when 4th and 6th respectively behind Moonrise in Ascot’s Group 3 Princess Margaret Japan Cup Stakes on King George Day. The former had previously impressed when winning on her debut at Newbury last month.
Kevin Philippart De Foy’s daughter of Night Of Thunder can take this Sweet Solara Stakes, granted a clearer passage on this occasion. Godolphin’s Graceful Song is the other one to consider following her debut victory at Newmarket last month.
Recommendation: Nuit d’Eclair - 3/1 with bet365
2:10pm Ascot - Hermetic
Trainer Ian Williams is responsible for four of the 11 contenders for this Shergar Cup Stayers (including reserve Beylerbeyi), best of which may be the unexposed HERMETIC, who will be having just his 8th career start and fourth for current connections, the son of Sea The Stars successful on two of his four starts in France.
Fourth of 20, beaten less than three lengths on his most recent start in Newcastle’s Northumberland Plate consolation race, the lightly-raced grey is open to plenty more improvement and does not look badly treated off a mark of 81. You can forgive the horse’s disappointing effort on soft ground at Goodwood when getting upset in the stalls.
Recommendation: Hermetic - 8/1 with Coral
2:25pm Haydock - Sallaal
Ed Bethell’s Danger Bay looked a bit unlucky when encountering all kinds of trouble in finishing 4th of 20 in York’s John Smith’s Cup last month, a race won by the Roger Varian-trained Raammee. Raised in class, Daniel Tudhope’s mount may have to settle for a minor placing once again behind another Varian runner in the shape of the progressive SALLAAL.
Hugely impressive in winning a valuable handicap at Epsom’s Derby meeting, the son of Frankel stepped-up in class to win Sandown’s Listed Gala Stakes on his most recent start and looks the one to beat in this Group 3 Lancaster Stakes.
Recommendation: Sallaal - 10/11 with Betfred
2:45pm Ascot - Insanity
Having backed the Alan King-trained INSANITY for Royal Ascot’s Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at a big price, I was hopeful of a big run from the well-supported Nathaniel gelding. Held up towards the rear, the six-year-old could never get near enough to mount a serious challenge, with jockey Rossa Ryan accepting the position some way from home.
I think it's safe to put a line through that below-par effort, and on a course where Insanity’s previous efforts resulted in form figures of 2-1-3, the selection for this Shergar Cup Challenge deserves another chance.
Recommendation: Insanity - 7/1 with bet365
3:00pm Haydock - Fallen Angel
It’s impossible to look beyond Karl Burke’s FALLEN ANGEL for this 1m Listed Dick Hern Heron Stakes, the Wathnan-owned mare a multiple Group 1 winner, most recently when beating one of the best fillies around at the moment in Newmarket’s Sun Chariot Stakes last October, the Juddmonte-owned Bolt Blue.
Last of 4 behind Sea The Fire in York’s Middleton Fillies’ Stakes on her reappearance, we can expect to see a much better effort from the daughter of Too Darn Hot with that run under her belt and back over a more suitable trip. Those looking for an each-way alternative to the short priced favourite could do worse than Owen Burrows’ Calendar Girl, who will be having her first outing since winning Newmarket’s Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes last October.
Recommendation: Fallen Angel - 8/11 with BetVictor
3:20pm Ascot - Thunder Call (Nap)
After winning York’s valuable Macmillan Sprint on his handicap debut back in June, William Haggas’s lightly-raced THUNDER CALL (Nap) looked a potential Group horse in the making. The Pinatubo colt was sent off favourite to follow-up in Newmarket’s Betway (Heritage Handicap) at the July meeting, only to finish a close third behind winner Jazl and runner-up Calico Blue.
While both of those horses were up with the pace from the word go at headquarters, Thunder Call was given plenty to do by jockey Tom Marquand towards the rear of the 13 runners. I think the selection can be marked up considerably for that effort and expect this promising three-year-old to regain the winning thread before going on to better things.
Recommendation: Thunder Call (Nap) - 2/1 with Coral
3:55pm Ascot - Pierre Grosse
Unbeaten on all three starts this year, William Haggas’s Hoseki may well be the answer to the outcome of this mile and a half Sherger Cup Classic. The filly made hard work of beating main market rival Nochebuena over today’s course and distance last month however, in which case it could be worth siding with Irish challenger PIERRE GROSSE, the only runner on the card for trainer Jessica Harrington.
The Palace Pier gelding has yet to open his account in 8 starts to date, but has some decent efforts in defeat to his name, including when runner-up in the Ulster Derby (Premier Handicap) at Down Royal on his penultimate start, only giving best close home over that 1m 5f trip on soft ground.
Today’s conditions should be ideal for the Irish raider, who races off a fair mark of 85.
Recommendation: Pierre Grosse - 15/2 with bet365
4:30pm Ascot - Bullet Point
While we have yet to see the best of William Haggas’s BULLET POINT on his two starts this season, the Advertise gelding’s latest run when 12th of 15 in a valuable handicap at Newbury three months ago can be forgiven somewhat as the five-year-old was badly hampered approaching the final furlong.
With the aid of cheekpieces for the first time, the horse is better judged on his two efforts on this course, first of all when beating all bar favourite My Cloud in last year’s Royal Hunt Cup, before occupying the same position when beaten half a length by Fearnot in the 17-runner Betfred Handicap five weeks later. A repeat of either of those runs would make Bullet Point hard to beat in this Shergar Cup Mile.
Recommendation: Bullet Point - 5/1 with Paddy Power
* 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 in the battle with bookmakers since joining Free Bets in 2008.
You can follow Alan Kelly on X for more racing insight.
Latest Horse Racing News
