New Year’s Day Racing Tips: Three fancies to start 2025

There's NINE meetings - eight over jumps and one on the level - for racing fans to enjoy on the opening day of 2025.

I've got a trio of New Year's Day racing tips for your consideration, including a 9/4 Nap from Cheltenham.

13:45 Musselburgh - Sweet Fantasy @ 11/4

One day, Paul Nicholls' Liari is going to put everything together and win one of these handicap hurdles easily, but hopefully that's not on New Year's Day.

James Owen is in great form, as is amateur jockey Mr Alex Chadwick, and they have a great chance of teaming up for more success with SWEET FANTASY in this 0-145 affair over 2m4f.

The six-year-old daughter of Wootton Bassett was an 87-rated Flat horse for Ralph Beckett and she won her first two starts over hurdles for new connections, including a 17L hammering of the 120-rated Lily Du Berlais at Catterick back in March.

She returned this term with an underwhelming fourth of six in a Listed race at Wetherby in early November, before stepping up to an intermediate trip at Cheltenham's Christmas Meeting and giving a very good account of herself, finishing sixth, as many lengths behind a good winner in Wodhooh.

The handicapper has dropped her two pounds for that, which is very generous in my book, and her jockey takes off a further five, so in essence she's competing off 123 here.

In an easier-looking contest too, she rates a brilliant bet at the quoted price.

14:40 Cheltenham - What A Johnny @ 5/1

Olly Murphy's lightly-raced WHAT A JOHNNY posted a career-best effort when third to 135-rated rivals at Market Rasen in November on his first attempt over three miles and looks ready to gain the third win of his career in this staying handicap hurdle.

The seven-year-old has only been raised a pound for his third in Lincolnshire, which saw him qualify for the Pertemps Final at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, and this looks an easier assignment to my eye.

He remains open to improvement, especially over this distance, and his mark wants increasing if he's to guarantee a run at the Festival.

He ought to go very close here under the red-hot Sean Bowen.

15:15 Cheltenham - Salver @ 9/4

Finally, Gary & Josh Moore's SALVER to win the Relkeel Hurdle at HQ is my Nap.

I'm a big fan of Mares' Novices' Hurdle heroine Golden Ace and I think she'll improve plenty for the Ascot Hurdle, reversing the form with Lucky Place, but she bumps into Gary Moore's five-year-old who brings the red-hot Triumph Hurdle form to the table.

The son of Motivator was a staying-on third behind Majborough and Kargese at the Festival and he ran respectably in the Gerry Fielden at Newbury in late November on his first appearance since.

Off a mark of 143 carrying topweight, he kept on nicely into fourth on ground quicker than ideal, which ought to have put him spot on for this Grade 2 assignment.

The step up in trip should suit too, and there's plenty of rain forecast over Prestbury Park between now and race time which only enhances Salver's claims.

If the 'real' Langer Dan shows up he'd serve it up to these, but Dan Skelton remains adamant he's a better horse in the spring, so he can't be advised.

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