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Remind me next time

Cheltenham bowed out to a waterlogged track but there's still plenty of racing action to savour on New Year's Day with four meetings still standing across the UK and Ireland.

Jumps fare is set to come from Tramore between 12:20 and 15.40, Exeter's action runs from 12:30 to 15:55, while there's also meetings at Musselburgh and Southwell. We've got three selections from across the cards. 

New Year's Day NAP

14:50 Exeter

Ask Me Early to win and each-way - BET NOW

As a once-raced winner in point-to-points it would always have appeared feasible that Ask Me Early should do his best stuff under rules once going over the larger obstacles. 

Harry Fry's charge showed promise in a pair of hurdles starts at Chepstow and Ffos Las either side of a 282-day break, but it was back at the former venue early last month where he made a winning start over fences.

Sean Bowen's mount made the running that day over just shy of three miles on heavy ground and it looked as if he might be picked off when main market rival Thomas MacDonagh appeared in the home straight to challenge. Ask Me Early relished the battle, however, and found plenty for pressure, bending the will of that rival as he pulled more than five lengths clear.

He's up 6lb for his troubles but Ask Me Early seems well cut out for this discipline and is fancied to make it 2-2. 

New Year's Day Best Bets

13:20 Musselburgh

Sebastopol to win and each-way - BET NOW

Further progress from Tom Lacey's Sebastopol seems likely now that he's upped in trip and the Musselburgh course winner can fare well on his return to Scotland.

He was progressive last season over sticks, notching a Wincanton handicap on his return in October and adding to that here in February before his season was cut short after only three starts. He came back at Newbury in November and ran a very fair race in a Listed handicap hurdle off a mark of 142.

That was a stronger contest than this one and, eased 2lb by the assessor, he looks ready to tackle a two-and-a-half-mile trip now. Native Fighter is another with scope for improvement on second start back but the chances are there's plenty more in the locker with Sebastopol and he gains the verdict.

New Year's Day Tips

13:15 Southwell

Stone Soldier to win and each-way - BET NOW

Ayr Harbour and Fieldsman arrive in good shape and can boast recent winning form at this quirky track but so, too, does the hat-trick-chasing Stone Solider.

He's seemingly flourishing for the switch to Archie Watson's stable having won over 7f here early last month and followed up 10 days later over the mile under a 6lb penalty. 

He had seven lengths in hand on Fieldsman (fifth) in the first of those wins and that rival was one of two subsequent winners to emerge from the contest. 

Stone Soldier, meanwhile, appeared to be in trouble in the home straight here a fortnight ago but he stuck to his task and got back the advantage before winning by a determined half-length under Luke Morris. They can prevail once more on the Fibresand.

New Year's Day Betting Tips

1. Ask Me Early to win and each-way @ 2/1

2. Sebastopol  to win and each-way @ 9/2

3. Stone Soldier to win and each-way @ 6/4

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