2023 Gowran Park Thyestes Chase Meeting Tips – DS
2023 Gowran Park Thyestes Chase Meeting Tips
Unfortunately, we managed to back a couple of questionable triers at Navan. Jordan Gainford was keen to find as much trouble as he could on Barnacullia while the questionable stayer Cocoplum was ridden aggressively and predictably faded. The Race that Stops A County is the feature at Gowran on Thursday and we also have the Grade 2 Galmoy Hurdle. Hopefully we can nick a place or two, check out Dave Stevos’ 2023 Gowran Park Thyestes Chase meeting tips below.
1.05 – Langtons Handicap Hurdle (80-102)
First up at Gowran Park on Thyestes Day is this 16f low grade handicap hurdle. In these affairs the key is to find one that is a trier and believe me, that is easier said than done. There are quite a few handicap debutants in the field and After The Roar is one of those. He ran decently in one of them when 5th, beaten 20L behind Irish Point at Cork.
However, past experience has taught me that backing handicap debutants is a costly business as more often than not, it takes horses a couple of runs in handicap company before they display their true ability. The owner/trainer combination will tempt plenty, especially if there is an application of cash, but he’s not for me.
Locally Trained
This is the sort of race that smaller, local yards tend to target and Listenheretomejack is interesting at odds of 33/1 for Kilkenny based trainer Eoin Doyle and Denis O’Regan. His last victory over timber came over 17f on soft at Ballinrobe. He was rated 100 then and he is now in off a mark of 95. On his return from over a year off he ran down the field over 20f at Cork but he should strip fitter now and this drop back in trip could spark a revival.
He ran well on his sole start over C&D when 4th at big odds on ground too quick for him. He is best going right handed at 16f/17f on soft ground as his handicap form figures when getting those conditions illustrate (2131). Doyle has had 12 winners and 44 top 4 finishes from 164 previous runners at Gowran Park and Denis O’Regan had a sighter aboard this lad at Cork. Everything looks set for him to run a nice race and at odds of 33/1, Listenheretomejack is the e/w selection.
2023 Gowran Park Thyestes Chase Meeting Tips: Listenheretomejack e/w @ 33/1 (5 places) NAP
1.40 – Irish EBF Ladies Auction Maiden Hurdle (4yo+)
Not a betting race for me but if I was having a flutter, it would be on Ellis Boyd Redding. The fact that Lily Pinchin is over to ride the son of Doyen is surely a sign that this horse will be trying and he has run respectably on all three starts over timber. Pinchin is a jockey I hold in high regard, especially after she gave Dame Du Soir a cracking ride to win for us at big odds earlier this season. She’s the best jockey in this race and the combination of her hands and a first time hood could be just what the doctor ordered for this horse. He is too short for the blog but I hope he gives Pinchin her first Irish winner.
2023 Gowran Park Thyestes Chase Meeting Tips: No Bet
2.15 – Galmoy Hurdle (Grade 2)
In three of the last four seasons there’s been at least nine runners in the G2 Galmoy. This year, only six will go to post and Teahupoo is odds on. He landed the Royal Bond last time, benefitting big time for the step up to 19f. He needed every inch of the trip that day and he looked a different horse to the one that laboured badly at Cheltenham and Punchestown in the Spring. Bad ground suits and Gordon Elliott’s charge has won here over 16f. He’s 7/1 for the Stayers’ at Cheltenham, he’s rated 11lbs higher than the next best on paper and even giving 9lbs away to his nearest rivals, it’ll be a surprise if he doesn’t win.
Beacon Edge is the next best on paper but he is a 10/1 shot. Noel Meade’s 9yo has become unreliable. His last win, a Grade 1 Novice Chase in 2021, feels like a long time ago now and the return to hurdling and application of first time blinkers smacks of desperation. If he could rediscover the form of his Stayers’ Hurdle 4th two years ago he’d be a danger but it is impossible to draw any encouragement from his last four starts.
Aintree Aim
The bookies make another 9yo, the 142 rated Longhouse Poet, the second fav at 9/2. He has just the 12lbs to find with Teahupoo at the weights, a difficult task. Last year’s Thyestes Chase hero’s main aim will be a repeat bid in the Aintree Grand National after a creditable 6th there last year. He won a minor event over 20f at Limerick over Xmas and connections are unlikely to want to see him given too hard a race in this.
Summerville Boy, formerly with Tom George, is the most likely to challenge the fav. Now an 11yo, hurdling is his game and after a long spell on the sidelines, he returned with a pleasing effort at Punchestown for his new yard at the turn of the year. He ran well enough on unsuitably quick ground on his last try at 24f when 4th behind Thyme Hill, Paisley Park and McFabulous, not bad form at all.
His only two previous tries on soft at that trip resulted in a close 2nd to Paisley Park at Cheltenham in January 2020 and then a creditable 5th in the Stayers’ in March of that year when he reversed that form. The two outsiders make no appeal and I think the odds of 12/1 about Summerville Boy are big enough to justify an e/w bet. Hopefully he can finish 2nd and if Teahupoo has an off day, it could get even better.
2023 Gowran Park Thyestes Chase Meeting Tips: Summerville Boy e/w @ 12/1
2.50 – Goffs Thyestes Chase (Grade A)
We are in a decent position in this race already. Our 33/1 ante-post fancy, Espanito Bello, was heavily backed after declarations yesterday and the biggest you’ll get now is 9/1. That is far too short for a horse with his profile. There is as much chance of him clattering the first and jumping badly as there is of him winning and the value has most definitely gone from Barry Connell’s charge. That being said, hopefully he jumps like a stag and pisses in!
The only other outsider that interests me here is Captain Kangaroo. His sole start beyond 3 miles on heavy ground resulted in a commanding Cork win off a mark of 122 (28f sft/hvy) back in November. Kieran Callaghan claimed 7lbs that day and he beat Defi Bleu by over 2L. The handicapper gave him a 10lbs hike for that run but we have yet to see if he can be competitive off his new mark.
Early Faller
On his next start at Aintree in the Becher he unseated early on and he then fell in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown. The ground was lively enough for both of those races and I’m hoping he jumps better back on a softer surface.
He ran really well in a Novice Chase over today’s C&D back in October despite making mistakes so he has experience of the track and interestingly, all three of his non-completions have come going left handed. His form figures on heavy/soft to heavy going right handed read 3151 and at odds of 33/1, hopefully he can hit the frame again.
2023 Gowran Park Thyestes Chase Meeting Tips: Espanito Bello already advised @ 33/1; Captain Kangaroo e/w @ 33/1 (6 Places)
3.55 – Adare Manor Handicap Hurdle (80-123)
I was at Fairyhouse the day Emancipator won and he did it in some style. It looked like he had a couple of stone in hand and the handicapper duly hit him with a 14lb rise. Will that be enough to stop him? Well that Fairyhouse race was a desperate affair and this is undoubtedly a deeper race and he won’t have the assistance of 5lb claimer Michael O’Sullivan this time either. It wouldn’t surprise me if he won but odds of 4/1 don’t make any appeal.
Overpriced
One that looks overpriced on just her second handicap hurdle run is Lough Na Fooey. Trained in Tipperary by Leslie Young, this daughter of Virtual was a winner of a P2P in October for her former handler Mick Flannery. She ran okay in a couple of maiden hurdles for Flannery and on her first run for Young she shaped very nicely in a Fairyhouse handicap hurdle off 90 (20f sft). She had Maggie Walsh a length behind (conceding 5lbs) and she boosted the form at Fairyhouse on Wednesday.
Young stepped her back into maiden company at Limerick two weeks later and she ran another nice race, beat 5L into 4th in a first time tongue tie. The runner up in that contest has since won off 95 and with Daniel King’s 2lb allowance, Lough Na Fooey effectively runs off 88 here. Her P2P win came on good but her last two solid runs under rules came on soft so the ground should be fine. She could easily sneak into the money if repeating the form of her last two efforts. At odds of 25/1, Lough Na Fooey is the e/w selection.
