Gowran Park Betting: Flat caps and flat racing, but great atmosphere

005 Irish Racing / Wayne Bailey / 05 August 2008 / Leave a Comment

Evening racing returns to Gowran Park this week, and Wayne Bailey has recommendations for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Coming straight after what has been described by the Racing Post as the 'longest week in racing', the fare at Gowran Park may seem a bit dull compared to the pure class on show at Goodwood, and the fun factor associated with Galway.

At Gowran, the order of the day will be flat tweed caps rather than the spectacular women's' headpieces seen last week - but the smaller meetings are the bread and butter of the calendar, and often have some good bets tucked away for those that will put the time in. Here are a few that I'll be keeping an eye on...


Tuesday

6:05 - Gowran Park Race (3-4yo)

Rock Moss was out of his depth at Fairyhouse a couple of weeks ago, and never settled in. It looks like Jim Bolger has found the perfect race to get the confidence back up, and Manning should steer him back to winning ways today. Award Ceremony broke his maiden tag in great style in Galway last week, and it will be interesting to see if he can handle the stronger competition.

Advice: Back Rock Moss


7:05 - Hurry Harriet Listed Race (C & G) Maiden (2yo)

A year is a long time in racing, and it's amazing how much has changed in the life of Johnny Murtagh since I first wrote an article about his exploits at this track:

Click here to view the article

He's since gone on to get one of racing's top jobs, but the beauty of this sport is that you could be riding in the world's best races one day, and back to basics at a small track the next, where mingling with the betting public is a big part of racing life. It would be like Ronaldo appearing at your local football park, and no-one batting an eyelid. But make no mistake, whether it's Goodwood or Gowran, Murtagh will mean business - and Masterofthehorse looks like a very solid bet, albeit at a restrictive price. A brother of Alexandrova, he looked promising when coming second in his debut at Naas recently and should have enough to keep Shakalaka at bay.

Advice: Back Masterofthehorse


8:05 - Inistioge Handicap (3yo, 60-90)

Emy Bright had loads in the tank when winning a lower class handicap at Leopardstown last month, and she should be able to capitalise on that performance today. First time blinkers worked a treat that day, and she'll wear them here again. Drunken Sailor has been getting progressively better in recent weeks and can take some of the place money.

Advice: Back Emy Bright to win, and Drunken Sailor to place


Wednesday

5:55 - Open Singles Every Thursday Nursery (2yo, 50-80)

I'm not going to tip a horse in this race as such, but it's interesting for me as two horses that I stuck in my notebook are making their re-appearance - and they may be worth following if the prices are right. Zepnove ran green at Dundalk in May, but still managed a win and will certainly improve with time, while Redera showed plenty of spirit when battling back to win a maiden by ¾ of a length in a race where he made a number of mistakes.

Advice: The market may prove to be interesting, but keep an eye on Zepnove and Redera


7:25 - Golf Open Week At Gowran Park Handicap

A tough handicap, and a good case could be made for a number of these. Dane Blue is a decent mare that seems slotted in nicely at these weights. If she can continue her recent Tipperary form, she should nab a place at the least.

Advice: Back Dane Blue to place


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