Lucky 15 Tips: Ifitwasme ready to shine at Galway

It's a mammoth Monday of racing action across Britain and Ireland with seven meetings scheduled.

Our Lucky 15 tips stem from Leicester and Redcar on the Flat as well as Ayr over jumps before evening all-weather meetings from Newcastle and Southwell. It's a Bank Holiday Monday in Ireland and National Hunt action comes from Wexford alongside the season finale on the Flat at Galway.

13:17 Ayr – Country Mile @ 4/9

National Hunt racing returns to Ayr on Monday as the premier Scottish layout begins a new season over jumps.

Dan Skelton has been installed as favourite to become champion trainer in Britain for the first time this season and he's got a leading contender in the Novices' Hurdle over 2m in the form of COUNTRY MILE, the first of a promising bunch of runners for the trainer and his brother Harry on the card.

The yard are in excellent fettle, as evidenced with big race wins over the weekend, and this £80,000 point recruit was very impressive when winning a Huntingdon bumper on Rules bow in April.

He should not be wasting much time opening his account over timber.

15:20 Wexford – Corbetts Cross @ 15/8

Heart Wood finished ahead of CORBETTS CROSS on their respective seasonal bows last year in a Beginners' Chase at Naas over 2m4f but it was Emmet Mullins' charge that enjoyed the better season, despite Henry De Bromhead's inmate bagging a valuable Dublin Racing Festival handicap in February.

At Cheltenham in March, Corbetts Cross thrashed his rivals in the National Hunt Chase and he was then a good third in Grade 1 company at Aintree behind Gerri Colombe.

He drops in trip now for this comeback but his class should see him through and he was 2m5½f Fairyhouse winner last season.

16:20 Galway – Ifitwasme @ 15/2

It has been quite a month or so for trainer Eric McNamara, who lit up the Harvest Festival at Listowel with a succession of winners and remains in stellar form with a 5-17 strike-rate in the last fortnight for a 29 per-cent win-rate.

One of those Listowel winners for the Askeaton-based handler was IFITWASME, who made short work of 10 rivals in a 2m soft-ground handicap over hurdles.

He had also scored on the Flat at Tipperary (1m4½f, good to firm) in July and from a 6lb higher mark back on the level now, he has plenty going for him under Chris Hayes given the four-year-old has looked an improved model in both codes recently and seems to operate under any conditions.

This is an Extra Place Race, so Betfred will be paying 5 Places (1/5 odds) instead of 4.

18:30 Southwell -  Force And Valour @ SP

The 5f nursery on the Southwell card is open stuff, with recent Musselburgh winner Lady Roxby likely to prove popular now that she moves into handicaps.

FORCE AND VALOUR for trainer George Scott is preferred. The Mehmas colt won a Thirsk maiden over 6f (good) in August and was then pitched into the valuable Somerville Auction Stakes at Newmarket where he was well beaten by some smart performers.

He ran a better race at Yarmouth off an opening mark of 79, finishing third and can build on that in this all-weather bow. The fact he's raced exclusively over 6f is no negative coming down in trip around here.

Place a win or each way single on any of the 18:30 Southwell. If your horse finishes 2nd, we will refund your stake in Free Bets up to £10.

As a guide, a £0.25p each-way Lucky 15 on today's selections, at the prices, and assuming all four won, would return around £231 for your total £7.50 stake.

Fred, 'The Bonus King,' invented the 'Lucky' series of bets and their bonuses. My colleague Adam has set out all you need to know with this handy guide - take a look by clicking here.

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