Thursday 23rd January
By SP2A Analysis
Gowran Park 2.48 - Thyestes Chase - 3 miles 1 furlongs - 18 run (1 reserve) Soft (rain about)
I'll start with the one reserve as I do think that STORMY JUDGE who was 4th in this last year and who would run off a feather weight if getting a late run should be BACKED if he gets in. The conditions will be ideal again for him!
Elliot runs 6 and Mullins runs 5 and as usual you have to weed out the "most likely" from those Yards and experience very much tells us that the market is often wrong!
Of the Mullins team I think that GLENGOULY who was runner up in this race last year and whose riders 7lbs Claim sees him off a lower weight has a cracking chance of placing again and at very decent each way Odds. Of the Elliott team it's COKO BEACH who won this race in 2021 and who is more sparingly races these days is the one who should put up a good run off top weight and perfectly capable of running an enhanced place at nice odds.
I could make claim and counterclaim about almost all of the field but with the aim of being more concise in 2025, I think that the one that they all have to beat and my top rated is YEAH MAN for Gavin Cromwell, he doesn't (yet) have the quantity of runners as the big two, but he certainly is building the quality to eye-ball them head on in big races like this!. My other one at a nice each way price from outside of the bigger yards would be MACS CHARM who also ran well in this race last year 5th and off a similar prep and a nice mark and racing weight, I'd be hopeful he could at least repeat that effort once again (Sean)
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Gowran Park 3.55 Handicap Hurdle - 3 miles 1/2 furlong - 19 run - Soft
With some rain about this could turn into a real test of stamina and many have that to conclusively prove.
The top 2 in the market are very strong and it may well pay to have either a small win bet and/or a crafty reverse F/Cst on Machismo for Elliott and Dancingondaceliing for Cromwell.
There are however 2 places and a widely enhanced 5th place to attack, so in order of preference I will put up TRANQUIL SEA, an unexposed 5 year old whose stamina and ability to handle the ground already looks proven and a horse that could go a long way. JERIKO DE BAUME tends to do his best work late on in races so I would hope he runs into a place at the very least here. Finally at a big price is GETAWAY CHARLIE who has shown significant promise in the past and who is very well handicapped on that form, one who just needs the handicapper to relent a little but still only 9 years old and at 33-40/1 today may be the day that he gets a toe back in to the winners enclosure to 5 places! One footnote, I am adding Therellbeguddaysyet (very prophetically named) in to my TRACKER as I think the name sums it up perfectly (Michael)
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Huntingdon 1.55 - Handicap Hurdle - Class 4 - 2 miles 4 furlongs - 15 run - Good to Soft
I have respect for both Kintail and Soldierofthestorm here but both have niggling doubts hanging over them, many may not appreciate the rain affected ground amongst whom is the usually consistent Jazz KIng who was my 4th rated overall.
I think that the concerns about the drop back in trip on this tight track for GOLDEN AMBITION are mitigated by some form in the past at this trip and he is a confident selection. MASKED DANCE is a nice mare who won last January and again in early Summer, after a couple of quiet runs she should be fit and certainly she should be peaking again at this time in suitable conditions. She runs off a nice mark of 114 with a 3 lbs Claim and tight right handed tracks seem to suit her. If either was a non runner 8 SALLEY GARDENS @ 14/1 a Course and Distance winner for Olly Murphy would be the nomination back up the trip but the Going is definitely a niggle as to why it's 3rd rated and not higher (Advisor)