Jake Price picks out two to follow at Gowran Park and Fontwell on Saturday.
14:30 GowranSee All Odds
FAD EADRAINN 0.5pts EW (4 Places) @ 15/2
This is a competitive Handicap Hurdle as you would expect, but if FAD EADRAINN turns up in a similar vein of form to that which saw him finish fourth in a Listed Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown in April, then he would surely have massive claims in these calmer waters off his mark of 124.
At this time of year, you are always looking for some clues regarding fitness, and in the past this 8yo has a decent enough record when returning after a break of 131 days or more reading 4148, with that fourth placed effort in a Maiden Hurdle at Naas in February 2025 just 4 lengths behind Kalix Delabarriere (141). He has since won his Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel, but his biggest scalp came at Fairyhouse last November, where in a Rated Hurdle he gave dual Cheltenham Festival winner Air Of Entitlement (145) a 4.75 length beating.
Towards the end of the last campaign connections crept him up in distance, and at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival he was a good fifth over 2m5½f having pretty much been last before staying on in the closing stages, but it finally triggered connections to try him back over three-miles at Punchestown. It was a tall order going into Listed company at a big Festival and he wasn’t exactly fancied considering he went off a 25/1 shot, but once more he powered home despite meeting a fair amount of traffic in running. Once the gaps opened, he made up plenty of ground, and he was just 2.75 lengths behind Blue Mosque (129) and The Big Clubman (135) come the line – closing with every stride.
Whether he is ready to do himself justice or if another future target is in mind has to be taken somewhat on trust, but trainer Patrick Foley did win the big Mares Hurdle on Friday with Gino Bella, so hopefully that is a sign he wants to pick up some of these decent pots at Gowran before the proper winter types get going towards the end of this month.
17:35 FontwellSee All Odds
COUNTY CHAMPS 1pt Win @ 10/3
A Horse who went straight into my tracker following his unfortunate fall at Fontwell in September is COUNTY CHAMPS, who thankfully was none the worse for his tumble. There is little doubt in my mind that he was going to win that 2m5½f Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle under Fern O’Brien however, and to be honest he probably would have won it well considering the Horse he left in front idled badly and somehow got caught close home.
The main driving force behind my confidence is the fact that he is trained by Chris Gordon, who purposely picked him up from Ireland in April for £9,500. He had grown to be a frustrating figure over the Irish Sea having finished second on three of his last four starts there, but clearly his new trainer saw enough potential to pick up some low-grade Handicaps over in Britain – and obviously he nearly did that on just his second start for the yard last month.
What is particularly notable about Chris Gordon though is that he is a good operator at this time of year, with a strike rate of 18.7% (54 winners from 289 runners) in the months of September and October over the past ten years. He is particularly prolific at local tracks Plumpton and Fontwell too, with 32 of those 54 winners coming at his favourite racecourses. Another thing to note is that the strike rate when Freddie Gordon rides increases again; with 13 winners from 43 runners for a 30.2% win rate during the months of September and October, and the duo are 4 from 17 (23.5%) at Fontwell in this time period.
Chris Gordon has his string flying along at the moment with two winners from his last four runners, and even the two who got beat ran really well; with Nap Hand too keen when beaten 4 lengths into fourth, whilst Goodwin Face bumped into one when finishing 2 lengths second. The only real slight concern would be the drop in trip to 2m3f, but connections have clearly put him into this race rather than the preceding 2m5½f race for one reason – because it is a 0-95 against Novice company, rather than a 0-105 against open company. A 4lbs rise should not be enough to stop him, and it is notable that his lesser fancied stablemate Jefe Triunfo who was only fourth on that fateful day has won since to boost the form.
