Lucky 15 Tips: Play your New Year cards right with 5/2 Ace

There are NINE meetings on New Year’s Day across Britain and Ireland and the pick of them is the seven-race card - running from 12:20-15:50 - at Cheltenham.

I've looked to the action at HQ for my Lucky 15 tips, which includes a Cheltenham Festival winner bidding to bounce back from defeat on seasonal reappearance.

13:30 Cheltenham - Broadway Boy @ 11/10

It’s difficult to look beyond BROADWAY BOY in this staying handicap chase and he rates a rock-solid selection to get our Lucky 15 off to a flyer.

He ran a career-best effort when second in a red-hot handicap chase at Newbury last time and is even better suited by this course, where his record reads three wins from five starts.

Broadway Boy has been nudged up 2lb in the weights, but is definitely capable of better at this track and should also find this much easier than at Newbury last month.

14:05 Cheltenham - Springwell Bay @ 10/3

This feature handicap chase could go to SPRINGWELL BAY, who ran a cracker when splitting Grade 1-winning hurdlers Jango Baie and Caldwell Potter over course and distance last month. He was attempting to give weight to both of those rivals and had a tough task.

He should find this handicap a lot easier and that was the second time in as many starts that he has run well at this course as he had previously chased home smart pair Hyland and Resplendent Grey over 3m1/2f at the track in November.

Springwell Bay was also a course winner over hurdles, so he simply loves Cheltenham, and might have too much in hand of the assessor for these rivals on only his fourth chasing start.

14:40 Cheltenham - One Big Bang @ 5/2

James Owen is having a fantastic season and might be able to strike again here with ONE BIG BANG, who has been improving fast all season and comes in off another career best.

One Big Bang was beaten only two and three-quarter lengths by Shoot First in a red-hot handicap at Haydock last time and had several of these rivals well held in behind. He has been put up 3lb in the weights, but almost certainly has more to offer as he is still unexposed.

Harry Cobden takes over from 7lb claimer Calum Hogan in the saddle and One Big Bang looks capable of taking another big step forward under the champion jockey.

15:15 Cheltenham - Golden Ace @ 5/2

GOLDEN ACE is the only horse to have beaten the outstanding mare Brighterdaysahead and she did so impressively at the festival here last season. She followed up by winning over course and distance in April and is fancied to make it three from three at Cheltenham.

The Jeremy Scott-trained mare needs to bounce back from a below-par run at Ascot last time when she was beaten by Lucky Place, but has a 6lb pull in the weights with that rival here and is almost certainly capable of beating him on these revised terms.

She is also entitled to improve for that first run since April and won’t need to take much of a step forward to beat these rivals, who all have to concede weight to her.

The odds can and will fluctuate between time of publication and race time - but a 50p win Lucky 15 on today's selections at the quoted prices, assuming all four won, would return around £166.90 for a total £7.50 stake.

Horse Racing & Greyhound bets only. Excludes Virtual Racing. 5x odds on Lucky 63. 4x Odds Lucky 31. 3x Odds Lucky 15. All selections must run. Paid in cash if only 1 winner. T&Cs Apply.

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