Irish racing expert Tony Keenan previews the Gowran action and adds to his long-range selection with one fresh bet on the card.
Irish racing tips: Thursday January 23
1pt win Chapeau De Soleil in 3.23 Gowran at 5/1 (William Hill) - 4/1 General
Gowran are going to dodge a weather bullet in the shape of Storm Éowyn tomorrow, as 24 hours later and this card would not go ahead, but things are set fair for their big meeting, due to be run on soft ground.
There is some morning rain forecast and the more the better for my long-range selection for the featured Goffs Thyestes Chase at 2.48, Favori De Champdou, for whom the case was made at the weekend.
Plenty of those at the head of the betting hold obvious claim, however. Nick Rockett ran very well when third in the Paddy Power off an absence at Christmas, a race where Willie Mullins-trained seasonal debutantes rarely get involved, and should take a step forward here while Yeah Man shaped a fair bit better than his third in the Troytown, hampered around halfway and doing much the best of those that race round the unfavoured inner. All that came against race-fit rivals, too.
The other big race on the card is the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle (2.13) with the two most interesting runners being Hiddenvalley Lake and Rocky’s Diamond.
Hiddenvalley Lake has run just one bad race in seven starts over hurdles when running back too soon in the Albert Bartlett and might well have won the Long Walk with a better jump at the second last. He has a penalty but may be able to defy it.
Rocky’s Diamond looked an optimistic entry in the Savills Hurdle over Christmas but ran a screamer for a four-year-old over a staying trip despite jumping poorly, not for the first time. He overcame a bad position and traffic down the rail to finish third, suggesting there is a lot more to come from him in races like this, though slower ground is an unknown. Both have been well-backed since declarations, however.
Perhaps the most appealing betting race is the Daly Farrell Accountants Beginners Chase (3.23). Without wishing to sound trite, it is a race where one needs to find the best line of form to land on the winner in that a number of the field have similar profiles after running well on chase debut at good tracks.
The Leopardstown race from December 28th where CHAPEAU DE SOLEIL and Quai De Bourbon finished second and third respectively might prove the pick, the fourth from that race posting an improved effort since, and preference is for the Ricci horse given the prices.
He jumped better than Quai De Bourbon then and was much weaker in the betting, suggesting there may be more improvement to come, while he promises to be at least as good on slower ground.
Then there is the form of their respective novice hurdle seasons. Quai De Bourbon ran third in the Martin Pipe, but last year’s running was not as strong as previous ones, the form not really working out, while Chapeau De Soleil was at least tried at Grade 1 level in the Lawlor’s Of Naas.
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He disappointed there when doing everything wrong in front but won his next two after a break under different tactics, doing well to win a valuable race at Punchestown in May, overcoming a slow pace to win from rear. He was back making the running last time, and fences seem to have settled him down, and his initial chase effort looked at least as promising as that of Quai De Bourbon.
The handicap hurdles at Gowran on Thyestes day may be relatively low grade but they tend to be very competitive given the profile of the meeting with plenty of horses aimed at them, moreso that might ordinarily be the case.
Aclass makes some appeal in the Langtons Kilkenny Handicap Hurdle at 1.38, dropping in grade after a decent run at Tramore last time, while his mark looks reasonable on bumper form.
The 3.58, the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, is particularly deep, though Heliko Conti looks a little overpriced. He has been generally disappointing and is quirky but has dropped in the weights and finished well after being badly hampered early last time, and it is not beyond the realms that he has been a three miler all along.
Published at 0722 GMT on 23/01/25
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