Jake Price's Racing Tips for Gowran Park Today

15:06 Gowran - Maiden Hurdle - 2m4f

MOSSY WAY 1pt Win @ 11/4

This Maiden event is not going to take much winning, and an added complication is the fact that the ground at Gowran is already yielding, with more rain forecast. You would imagine that such conditions will not favour types who have been running through the Summer such as Euro Agent and Fortis Et Liner, but the going should be ideal for MOSSY WAY.

This 6yo was in the headlines for his reappearance at Limerick last November, where following a 257-day absence he absolutely blew a Bumper apart to score by 27 lengths - making all of the running with ease. Prior to that victory he had recorded some good Bumper form behind the likes of Koktail Brut and Le Labo so he probably was entitled to win, but the style in which he recorded that success was enough to see Edward Buckley privately purchase him from the Doyle team.

His new connections decided to keep him in Bumpers for a little longer after he arrived, and over Christmas he ran a brilliant race at Leopardstown when 4th behind Keep Him Company, but he had certainly hit his ceiling in Bumpers when then finishing 7/7 in the Grade 2 at the DRF. It was quite an odd move to send him into a 2m4f Maiden Hurdle just 16 days later however, and he was very much disappointed when finishing in a distant 4th behind Court Compliance.

Given a bit longer of a break until the Fairyhouse Easter Festival in April, MOSSY WAY ran much better when sporting first-time cheekpieces, but the problem was that he dropped back in trip to 2m. Connections quite sensibly bounced him out in front to try and make good use of him, but just before the second last he was quite quickly caught and passed by the smooth travelling Colcannon - who is rated 125 and had was a smart Bumper horse himself having won the Grade 2 at the DRF the year prior. The Horse in second Brother Walfrid has won since and is rated 120 to give the form a decent look, but what I liked most was the fact that our selection kept on all the way to the line in third, and certainly shaped as if 2m4f would suit.

The time to catch him may well be fresh based upon the small samples of evidence that we have so far, as Horses like him tend to take a fair bit out of themselves. I don't think fitness is going to be a concern on this occasion considering he was ready to run at Navan on the 19th September before the ground came up too quick for him, and as that race was over 2m5f, connections clearly think he wants intermediate distances. He gets ideal ground conditions this time at Gowran, and Edward Buckley has his small string in good order considering he is 1 from 3 in the past 14 days; winning with Bells Grove at Navan and having Kalico Leader only beaten a length into third at Clonmel on Thursday. You would imagine that they will go forward with him once again, and keep everything quite simple. 

Gillane would be a danger under usual circumstances, but the Gavin Cromwell yard is 0/32 in the past 14 days and is having an awful time of things.