UK Horse Racing Tips: Gowran Park

SWELLTIME won a 1m4f handicap at Fairyhouse last summer and has returned this year in good heart under both codes. The selection was ridden by an inexperienced amateur when staying on in eye-catching fashion to beat all bar King Pellinor on his hurdling debut at Tipperary last month and was subsequently just touched off in the final stride when reverting to the Flat at the Curragh. Isotope is the pick of these on the Flat with a current rating of 87 after scoring in good style at Roscommon last time. However, the Joseph O'Brien-trained gelding was soundly beaten on his only previous hurdle start at Galway last autumn. Oak Park and Pepperoni Pete are others to consider from leading yards.
Prediction : 1st Swelltime 2nd Isotope 3rd Oak Park

Sentimentality is surely a reason for top flat owner Michael Tabor retaining ownership of homebred METICULOUS but the gelding is nonetheless a useful performer and can get off the mark on his third hurdles outing. METICULOUS's dam and grandam both raced for Tabor and had close relationships to Cheltenham Festival Bumpers, with his dam filling second and fourth (2004 and 2005) and his grandam finishing third in the 1992 renewal. METICULOUS himself filled eighth in last year's renewal and while well held on two subsequent hurdle outings this year, those were in hot Grade 2 and Listed races and having not disgraced in either, this race looks well within his abilities. Coolbane Boy was himself a bumper winner at Thurles in January and comes here with his chance having proven himself over hurdles previously. However he too lacks a recent outing and might struggle to beat the selection. Jon Ess has been a marvellous servant, having won six times on the flat, and while his flat rating is now 92 on the all-weather and 88 on turf, he has been beaten in 13 hurdle outings and might again find one or two too strong.
Prediction : 1st Meticulous 2nd Coolbane Boy 3rd Jon Ess

AVANZI has a long absence to overcome but could make a winning hurdles debut here. Bought for Stg58,000 as a 3yo, he was initially registered to have been trained by Ian Ferguson but made his debut for Gordon Elliott at Ballinrobe in May. He was easy to back then but ran a godo race to finish third, with the form working out particularly well since then, suggesting that AVANZI is an above average type. He has presumably had training issues since but is still just a 5yo, is sure to well schooled today and this looks an eminently winneable race. With A Start, in conteast, is flat-bred and has good recent flat form. He ran a good race on debut for new connections at Bellewstown recently and while his lack of hurdles form is a small concern, he is already proven over national hunt trips and will also be well schooled. Peres Et Fils was pulled up quickly at Kilbeggan 10 days ago, with his jockey reporting his mount 'didn't handle the ground'. He has had a worrying 462-day absence in the past and comes here with plenty to prove.
Prediction : 1st Avanzi 2nd With A Start 3rd Peres Et Fils

BARRINGTON COURT has shown a good level of ability on plenty occasions and having won at Tipperary (Dame De Ruban was fifth) earlier this month, can follow up here. She was a Listed Bumper winner in 2018 and while she has as yet failed to match that level of form over hurdles, her most recent win was very encouraging and she could give away a few pounds to her rivals and win this. Battle Of Wills also brings recent form here and was rated 90 on the flat in 2019. he was outclassed at Grade 3 level over hurdles last February and while also well held at Bellewstown recently, could improve a little for that reappearance outing. Gealach was eighth in the Fred Winter Hurdle at Cheltenham but was also well beaten at Bellewstown latest while Politicise has more on his plate than when winning at Kilbeggan 10 days ago. Similarly Skyace steps up markedly on her maiden hurdle winning form but connections are already in bonus territory, having picked her up for just Stg600 last November.
Prediction : 1st Barrington Court 2nd Battle Of Wills 3rd Skyace

LUIS VAN ZANDT was quite lightly-raced for Tony Martin but looked a certain future handicap winner when third in a competitive 22-runner Fairyhouse event last year. The Scorpion gelding has joined Gavin Cromwell this year and made a bright start at Limerick when keeping on one paced behind Laureate. This extra half-mile could well suit. Shannon Fields is an obvious threat. Eric McNamara's charge was far from disgraced in some big field maidens last winter and went off favourite when switched to a handicap over this trip at Tipperary last month. The six-year-old could well progress from that solid effort and is preferred to Yeah Babe and the selection's stablemate Captain Courageous. Any market move for point-to-point winner Doyen Dancer would be interesting.
Prediction : 1st Luis Van Zandt 2nd Shannon Fields 3rd Yeah Babe

KILKISHEN has proved a good servant to connections and comes here in good form having filled the runner-up spot on his latest two outings in similar events. The ten-year-old had a couple of these behind when beating all bar Sweet Home Chicago at Roscommon and again played his customary prominent role when well-backed at Kilbeggan earlier this month. Roi De Dubai won the Seamus Mulvaney Crockafotha Handicap Hurdle at Bellewstown last year and went close to a repeat win in that 2m4f event when just edged out on the run-in by Abraham earlier this month. He's entitled to progress from that run, a first in eight months, and should make a bold bid along with top-weight Flooring Porter and Gun Merchant.
Prediction : 1st Kilkishen 2nd Roi De Dubai 3rd Flooring Porter

MR JACKMAN justified strong support on debut at Tipperary earlier this month and this looks a good opportunity to follow up despite the 7lb winner's penalty. The runner-up Second Subaltern had shown promise previously at Aintree and interestingly his trainer Sam Curling now supplies one of the likely dangers in the shape of Elusive Specimen. He only weakened in the final quarter mile on debut at Limerick last month and could well progress from that experience. The market should prove a good guide to the relative merits of the quartet of newcomers in the line-up.
Prediction : 1st Mr Jackman 2nd Elusive Specimen 3rd James Hoban

JIMMY JIMMY looks the one to beat and perhaps complete a quick bumper race double for Gordon Elliott and Jamie Codd. The Robin Des Champs gelding has shown definite promise on all three outings with plenty of cut in the ground and perhaps this sounder surface and extra half-mile will help to get him off the mark. He was far from disgraced on debut in a hot Fairyhouse event won by Eric Bloodaxe before keeping on one paced when runner-up at Fairyhouse and Navan. Bavarian Girl attracted support at big prices when reappearing at Roscommon last month and showed that confidence wasn't misplaced when beating all bar the impressive Beret Rouge. She looks capable of landing a mares' bumpers this summer, while Florey Spud is another to note following a promising debut at Kilbeggan.
Prediction : 1st Jimmy Jimmy 2nd Bavarian Girl 3rd Florey Spud