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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 - Friday, October 24th
The jumps season gets into full swing this week courtesy of Cheltenham’s two-day meeting which gets underway on Friday afternoon, with conditions at Prestbury Park described as good to soft.
Softer ground is expected at the two turf flat cards at Doncaster and Newbury.
1:33pm Doncaster - Jubilee Walk (NAP)
Hopefully, the ground will dry out a bit on Town Moor from its current description of heavy, soft in places. Conditions shouldn’t be a problem for the James Ferguson-trained Jubilee Walk, who would be a deserved winner of this 6f sprint handicap after finishing a half length third in the Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup last time, possibly beaten by his draw from stall 14.
Prior to that excellent effort, the Study Of Man gelding had to settle for the runner-up spot at Ascot behind fellow rival Brosay, who he now meets on 4lb better terms for the length which separated the pair. Back in third place was William Haggas’s Binhareer, who landed our 7/1 nap at York last weekend with an impressive victory in the Coral Sprint (Heritage Handicap).
Jockey William Buick is reunited with Jubilee Walk for the first time since the pair finished 8th of 20 at York’s Ebor meeting after stumbling leaving the stalls. Drawn 11 of 12 today and with cheekpieces on for the first time, the selection may have most to fear from Richard Fahey’s Strike Red and David O’Meara’s Akkadian Thunder, who may appreciate this drop back in trip.
Recommendation: Jubilee Walk (NAP) 9/2 with William Hill
3:35pm Cheltenham - Calico
The Russell/Scudamore stable are always to be respected when sending a handicap chaser to Prestbury Park and it would be no surprise to see their Traprain Law run a big race, despite Patrick Wadge’s mount racing from 3lb out of the handicap. The seven-year-old is still well treated on his best form and meets Irish raider Jasko Des Dames on 7lb better terms than when the pair finished 5th and 7th in the Grand Annual at the festival back in March.
However, I think the key to the outcome of this £100k two mile handicap chase may lie in last year’s renewal in which the Dan Skelton-trained Calico came home a neck in front of Matata from the Twiston-Davies stable. While Harry Skelton’s mount failed to win in four subsequent starts last season, the nine-year-old now meets the top weight on 9lb better terms.
Runner-up in the Red Rum at Aintree’s Grand National meeting on his final outing of last season, Calico has an excellent record following a break and can win back-to-back renewals of this valuable contest.
Recommendation: Calico 3/1 with William Hill
4:45pm Cheltenham - Harrys Hope
A wide-open amateur jockeys’ handicap chase to end Cheltenham’s card. Best of the four Irish challengers may be the Cian Collins hat-trick seeking Solly Attwell, a comfortable winner at Downpatrick last month but running off a 16lb higher mark here. The booking of top amateur Patrick Mullins for the Henry Daly-trained Rockinastorm takes the eye, while Regarde and Neil Mulholland’s Kelce are others with claims.
However, the Ben Pauling stable are well represented with 3 of the 18 runners, the each-way vote going to his Harrys Hope, the mount of Mr Samuel Scott claiming 7lb. The seven-year-old mare is a strong-traveller and just the type to be suited by a race of this nature.
The daughter of Quest For Peace is 4 from 9 over fences and looked as if she would improve for her run at Worcester last month when failing to quicken on the run-in after travelling best of all for most of the race.
Recommendation: Harrys Hope (EW) at 14/1 with Paddy Power
5:10pm Newbury - Maelstrom
After landing a hat-trick of wins in handicaps at Yarmouth and Haydock (twice), the William Haggas-trained Maelstrom was fancied for York’s valuable Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap back in June, only for the lightly-raced grey to finish a close seventh after failing to quicken inside the closing stages.
The ground was pretty quick on the Knavesmire on that occasion and I think the son of Night Of Thunder will be more at home under today’s easier conditions. An easy winner on his first run of the season following a break of 172 days, the Cheveley Park owned colt has the potential to improve upon his current mark of 84 and can go close in the hands of jockey Tom Marquand. Most of Maelstrom’s 17 rivals look well exposed and it would be no surprise if the selection’s stablemate Showering was to go well for 3lb claimer Harry Burns.
Recommendation: Maelstrom 11/2 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.
You can follow Alan Kelly on Twitter for more racing insight.
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