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A decent Ebor week with a profit of +£9.53 to a £1 level stake, although things could have been so much better, as luck was certainly not on our side with a total of 8 seconds over the six days.
After trading at 1.01 in running, Almaqam was caught on the post in the International, 14/1 chance French Duke failed by the minimum margin to get up in Friday’s feature handicap, and Hopewell Rock (tipped at 12/1) just lost out in the Ebor after jockey Callum Rodriguez dropped his whip inside the final furlong. A fabulous four days of action on the Knavesmire, but frustrating all the same.
P/L for the week ending Sunday, 23 August: +£9.53
P/L for the year to date: +£156.18
P/L for the year 2025: +£22.38
P/L for the year 2024: +£200.42
P/L since 1st September 2022: +£656.84
Alan Kelly's Tips - Friday, 28 August
A busy Friday with meetings at Sandown, Thirsk and Ffos Las in the afternoon and Goodwood, Fontwell and Sedgefield in the evening.
The Irish cards at Wexford and Down Royal completes the day's action.
4:45pm Sandown - Poets Praise
A poor turnout for this Class 5 fillies handicap, headed by the 74-rated Box Clever, one of 4 from the classic generation, who has to shoulder a 6lb penalty for her comfortable victory in a Salisbury handicap last week. Due to go up 8lb in the future, Jonathan Portman’s charge is still 2lb well-in and will be fancied by many to follow-up in the hands of jockey Jason Watson.
On just her fourth career start, the Ralph Beckett-trained POETS PRAISE makes her handicap debut off a mark of only 68. While yet to make the frame so far, the daughter of Lope De Vega is clearly well regarded having been sent off at short odds for races at Leicester and Doncaster towards the end of last year as a juvenile and in a Wolverhampton maiden on her reappearance last month.
Rossa Ryan’s mount could not have found an easier opportunity for her first outing in handicap company, and it will be disappointing if this well-bred filly is unable to take advantage of such a low rating in this modest contest.
Recommendation: Poets Praise - 5/1 with bet365
5:10pm Goodwood - Brighton Beach
On the face of it a wide-open 1m 2f fillies’ handicap, the field of 13 headed by the Tom Ward-trained Shady Bay, the mount of Saffie Osborne beaten on her last 4 starts off similar marks since winning off 6lb lower at Nottingham back in April.
Ed Walker’s Hauteluce won on her handicap debut at Southwell earlier in the month and should be competitive off a 5lb higher mark, while James Fanshawe’s Alice De Clare, the winner of three of her last four starts, is another to consider along with Eve Johnson Houghton’s Kokoluna.
Of the 13 contenders, the only one making her handicap debut is William Haggas’s BRIGHTON BEACH, who may have been underestimated by the handicapper off an opening mark of 73. Despite finishing last of 3 in a Chester maiden on her second start, the daughter of Palace Pier was beaten just over two lengths behind a couple of promising fillies in Ralph Beckett’s Crownright and Summerson from the Roger Varian stable.
The winner had previously finished a respectable 9th of 30 in the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot, while the runner-up went on to finish 4th in the Listed Galtres Stakes at York last week. Brighton Beach opened her account with a narrow victory over a promising filly of Ralph Beckett’s at Thirsk earlier in the month, and with plenty of improvement still to come, Tom Marquand’s mount gets the vote.
Recommendation: Brighton Beach - 4/1 with bet365
5:32pm Sedgefield - Thank You Blue
Mickey Bowen’s Fiskardo is the most interesting of the nine contenders for this ARC Summer Chase Series Qualifier run over an extended 2m 3f. The six-year-old will make his chasing debut off a mark of 101 following a decent effort when 4th of 15 over hurdles at Worcester last week. The betting is likely to prove a good guide to the chances of 5lb claimer Shane Fenelon.
Trainer Jennie Candlish has some excellent chances on the card, in particular top weight Aimeric in the 7.15 race, the Frankel gelding successful in 5 races on the Flat but yet to produce his best in 3 outings over the smaller obstacles. An opening handicap mark of 96 looks interesting. I think Candlish’s best chance of a winner, however, may be that of THANK YOU BLUE, the mount of jockey Ian Power.
The nine-year-old is rated 12lb lower of fences compared to a hurdles mark of 114, the Blue Bresil gelding successful in two races over the smaller obstacles here and one at Ludlow back in February. While Thank You Blue has taken time to get the hang of the chasing game, the selection did well to run Dan Skelton’s progressive Thickthorn Tom close at Worcester last month.
Recommendation: Thank You Blue - 4/1 with bet365
6:55pm Goodwood - Veil Of Clouds (Nap)
Despite going off at short odds for all five career starts to date, the Simon & Ed Crisford-trained VEIL OF CLOUDS (Nap) only managed to get her head in front for the first time on Lingfield’s all-weather track recently. That first victory could not have been more impressive however, as the daughter of Pinatubo made all of the running to win by a long-looking 6 lengths at the Surrey racecourse.
Harry Davies’ mount has a 6lb penalty to carry for that much anticipated victory (backed into 4/7 from 5/4), but is still 2lb well-in compared to a future mark of 77. Handed the plum draw in stall 10 of 10, I expect the well-regarded filly to take some pegging back if similar tactics are employed as those of 11 days ago.
Top weight Rory Rocket will find this easier than when failing to make an impact at Goodwood’s Glorious meeting, although the main danger to Veil Of Clouds is likely to come in the shape of Ed Walker’s Sound And Vision, despite Kieran Shoemark’s mount being drawn widest of all in stall 1.
Recommendation: Veil Of Clouds (Nap) - 2/1 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 Free Bets in 2008.
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