Our top tipster Daryl Carter looks to get the New Year off to a flying start, with selections across five races at Cheltenham, Exeter and Musselburgh on Saturday, including a confident 3pt pick. Check out his tips below which come alongside an excellent sign-up offer courtesy of 888sport, who are offering a Bet £10 – Get £40 bonus.
Odds correct at time of publication
ALNADAM – (2.00 Cheltenham, 1pt win – 11/2 Bet365, 5/1 Betfair, Paddy Power)
ALNADAM is one of three here. This horse comes into this race fresh after just one start this season, which could be a good angle here. He is 22lbs better off with Funambule Sivola for a win at Sandown and has had few opportunities under optimum conditions.
Today’s 2m4f on soft ground has been encountered just four times. He had won two of those, and one is easily forgiven at Kempton when the track didn’t suit, and the other was on reappearance last term. He will strip fitter for his run at Haydock, where he had little chance against Bravemansgame, and he has proven to handle the course when out-stayed in the Ultima Handicap.
He is unexposed and has a big handicap such as this one in him, so is a confident selection to go close.
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RIDERS ON THE STORM – 2.00 Cheltenham, 1pt win – 12/1 Bet365, Paddy Power, William Hill)
RIDERS ONTHE STORM is a cover bet in here because he could prove thrown in off this reduced mark on the back of a promising reappearance when beaten into second. That should have put him right for this, and the former Grade 1 winner has a big effort in him yet with the tongue-tie retained.
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DEYRANN DE CARJAC – (2.00 Cheltenham, 0.5pt win – 20/1 Bet365, 18/1 BetVictor + Coral)
Just have a small saver, a small one just in case he gets up.
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CRACKING SMART – (2.35 Cheltenham, 0.5pt each-way – 50/1 Bet365, 40/1 Paddy Power + William Hill)
CRACKING SMART sports a visor AND cheek-piece combination, and the tongue-tie has been removed for the first time since 2017. He has had two spins in France over an inadequate two miles for his new handler, and this is the weakest contest he has raced in for quite some time.
His only trip to this venue when based in Ireland with Gordon Elliot resulted in a fourth in the 2020 Coral Cup 2m5f off a mark of 153 when staying on strongly at the death. He is now off a career-low handicap mark today of 140, inclusive of the jockey claim, and he is relatively unexposed over 3m after just six starts.
He is the same price as today as he was in last November’s Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace, so already that suggests he could prove a bit of value. In his last five starts before his two French runs, he has SP’d at odds of 72/1, 125/1, 80/1, 66/1 and 50/1. In three of those five starts, he bumped into the Pertemps Final winner, the Stayers Hurdle winner and the Champion Hurdle winner. Roll the small dice.
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AMOUR DE NUIT – (2.50 Musselburgh, 2pts win – 2/1 Bet365, 7/4 Skybet) (NB)
AMOUR DE NUIT has a great opportunity to get his head back in front today in a race that lacks any depth. He is a 140 horse, and this mark of 135 is well within reach, and given Paul Nicholls has made the 397-mile journey and confirmed this is his best chance of a winner, he looks a strikingly good bet at 9/4.
He has done nothing wrong in two starts this term. The first, an excellent third in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow in a race that has worked out very well, and he could do no more than run third behind the smart Fanion Destruval at Newbury, and this race is a far cry away from that contest.
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STORMY IRELAND – (3.10 Cheltenham, 1pt win – 5/1 Bet365, 9/2 Skybet + 888Sport)
STORMY IRELAND has the high possibility of an easy lead in this contest, and this looks to have been the target after a cobweb blow away in the Hatton’s Grace when given an easy time once her chance had gone.
She wasn’t disgraced in that contest after doing too much too soon, and she is entitled to improve for the run. Danny Mullins comes over for the ride on the Mares Grade 1 winner, and her Grade 2 Fairyhouse win puts her right in the mix for this. She is one pound off top-rated on weight-adjusted ratings, and she needs to be going close.
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COOLBANE BOY – (3.25 Musselburgh, 3pts win – 7/2 Bet365, Skybet + William Hill) (NAP)
COOLBANE BOY could be very well handicapped judged on his Irish form, and he is unexposed at this 3m trip for which improvement looks highly likely. He made a seriously bad error here last time, which lost him all chance but the way he travelled through the race suggests he would have played a big hand.
Rollback to when he was in Ireland and his only start over a suitable trip was a fourth behind the useful Streets Of Doyen rated 139, and Jacksons Gold rated 138 when better than the bare result. That’s not the only piece of form he becomes of interest either. His Listowel nose defeat to Slige Dala when staying on strongly at the finish over 2m3f on soft ground looks good with the winner rated 126.
Today he contests a very poor race on all known form, and the favourite is the horse he looked to have the measure off before that error over course and distance last time. He is an improving horse that should take a good bit of beating here.
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RUNASIMI RIVER – (3.35 Exeter, 2pts win – 4/1 Skybet, William Hill + Coral)
RUNASIMI RIVER has excellent claims to land this contest down in grade and back on her favoured heavy ground after a career-best performance at Cheltenham behind the useful Martello Sky.
She still looks to be improving, and connections have played a blinder taking seven pounds off her back, effectively allowing her to run off a six pounds lower mark today by using the valuable claim of the excellent Thomas Doggrell. Very few, if any, of her rivals want ground this deep, while she boasts a 3/3 record on heavy ground.
She is also slightly better going right-handed on the balance of her form with a 3/6 record, and this stiff track will play to her strengths. Today, she ticks all the boxes and is the best bet on the Exeter card.
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DARYL CARTER’S BEST BETS
ALNADAM – (2.00 Cheltenham, 1pt win – 11/2)
RIDERS ONTHE STORM – 2.00 Cheltenham, 1pt win – 12/1)
DEYRANN DE CARJAC – (2.00 Cheltenham, 0.5pt win – 20/1)
CRACKING SMART – (2.35 Cheltenham, 0.5pt each-way – 50/1)
AMOUR DE NUIT – (2.50 Musselburgh, 2pts win – 2/1) (NB)
STORMY IRELAND – (3.10 Cheltenham, 1pt win – 5/1)
COOLBANE BOY – (3.25 Musselburgh, 3pts win – 7/2) (NAP)
RUNASIMI RIVER – (3.35 Exeter, 2pts win – 4/1)
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