Thyestes Chase catches the attention of Carlow and Kilkenny on Thursday
Paul Townend takes the ride on Nick Rockett for Willie Mullins in Thursday's Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park Photo: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Gowran Park’s Thyestes Handicap Chase is ‘the race that stops a county’ and Thursday's seven-race card is sure to attract plenty of attention.
The action kicks off at 1.03pm with a two-mile maiden hurdle and concludes with the P.J. Foley Memorial INH Flat Race at 4.28pm, with the feature €100,000 Thyestes Handicap Chase splitting the card at 2.48pm.
Read below to discover the latest tips and a full preview of Gowran’s card on Wednesday courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest Cheltenham odds ahead of the Festival in March.
Race one (1.03) is a tricky two-mile maiden hurdle to work out. Few of the horses who have made their rules debut have sparkled so far, so it might be worth chancing Journey So Far on his stable debut for Gavin Cromwell. He was going well on his only point-to-point start before falling at the third-last and the winner from that race, Mossy Fen Road, is a €75,000 half-brother to the Grade 1 winner Fury Road. He is obviously unexposed and could be interesting on his debut.
The second contest is over the same course and distance as the opener, though this is a 0-100 handicap hurdle. Aclass showed promise on his handicap debut at Tramore on New Year’s Day despite the bottomless heavy ground on display and he can build on that. In his bumper days he finished behind My Trump Card and The Story So Far, the latter won a Cork maiden hurdle when well-backed recently. He travelled notably well and jumped soundly on his handicap debut earlier this month which is enough to chance him here.
The Grade 2 Galmoy Hurdle is a competitive race over three miles and half a furlong with some big names towards the top of the market. Preference goes to Buddy One on his return to hurdles after a short spell over the bigger obstacles. He seemingly didn’t enjoy fences at the start of this season, but he finished ahead of Hiddenvalley Lake in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree when racing off level weights. He gets five pounds from Henry de Bromhead’s favourite this time around and his record on soft ground around a right-handed track is nice.
Race four (2.48) sees the €100,000 Thyestes Handicap Chase put under the microscope with 18 runners to consider over the three-mile one-furlong trip. Favori De Champdou looked very good when winning the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novices’ Chase around Punchestown in November 2023, and the form of the race looks respectable. Sandor Clegane, the second, chased home Fact To File in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase in March 2024 and Flooring Porter, the third, won the Kerry National recently. Back on a right-handed track will suit Favori De Champdou, and the seven-pound claim of Josh Williamson is helpful.
The two-mile four-furlong beginners chase at 3.23 looks like a good place for Quai De Bourbon to win his first chase race for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend. The form of last season’s Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival, a race he finished third in, looks nice considering Better Days Ahead, the winner, finished second in the Grade 1 Long Distance Novice Chase at Leopardstown last month. He’ll come on for his seasonal reappearance and he is fancied here.
The penultimate contest (3.58) is a handicap hurdle run over three miles and half a furlong for riders with fewer than 40 winners. Tiernan Power Roche gets the ride on Galon De Vauzelle and he is of interest back over hurdles for the first time in nearly two and a half years. It’s not as if he’s out of form; the nine-year-old won at Listowel over fences off a mark of 111 in September 2024. He won decisively that day, and it looks like a good spot from connections to run him here off a lower hurdles mark of 107. He’s a proven stayer and will like the ground.
To conclude, six runners will line up for the two-mile National Hunt bumper at 4.28. Although Reckless will be a well-fancied contender, he deserves that position in the market. He has a lovely Flat-based pedigree behind him as he is a Doctor Dino half-brother to Syrita, a Listed winner at Deauville in July 2017. He represents top connections and deserves respect.
Gowran Park selections - Thursday
1.03 - Journey So Far
1.38 - Aclass
2.13 - Buddy One
2.48 - Favori De Champdou
3.23 - Quai De Bourbon
3.58 - Galon De Vauzelle
4.28 - Reckless
