A long winded headline, but I won’t be half as long getting stuck into an ultra competitive day of action on Thyestes Day at Gowran Park!

The National Hunt season is set to show its alive and well tomorrow at Gowran Park with Soft in the going description all the stars are out to play and lay their cards on the table ahead of an ever approaching Cheltenham Festival.

There may be little or nothing resembling the Cheltenham Festival in the opening race of the day but for a big field and a few flights of hurdles. It may just be an 80-102 handicap hurdle but in a big field with lots of different form lines to go on those at the top of the market are prices you can have a few quid eachway on. First to touch upon is BREESY MOUNTAIN 7/1 (EW) who won a 22 runner handicap hurdle last time out off of a mark of 85. He’s got a 10lb rise from the handicapper since then but Danny Hand can take off a very valuable 7lb here to negate most of that rise. If he handles the slower going which I’ve some small reservations about, he should be capable of going very close. IKNOWWHEREIAMNOW 13/2 (EW) is another set to race off a mark of 95, 4lbs higher than her recent 2nd over 2m 4f last time. While of course we would rather her not to be carrying the extra weight she is still only five and the combination of the slower ground and the shorter trip may just suit this mare down to the ground. With some bookmakers offering 5 places I’d certainly have no problem backing two horses in this kind of field!

The second race on the card is a 2m 4f maiden hurdle. The Big Dog will be popular with many punters after a good run last time at Leopardstown behind Castlebawn West. They were 11L clear of the third that day and while I respect the form I would be alot more interested in VOIX DE TIEP 13/8. On the face of his defeat as a short priced favourite last time, people may think that was a disappointing run but he was conceding 13lbs to the winner that day! With race fitness on his side now and some valuable hurdling experience I believe that he will have come on plenty and that should make him very difficult to beat.

Now what we’ve been waiting all season for its the return of PRESENTING PERCY 2/1! The Gold Cup favourite is making his long awaited seasonal debut over hurdles in a prep for the Gold Cup in just 7 weeks time. Now while this is as strong a grade 2 as you will find anywhere on paper, it is my firm belief that Presenting Percy won’t need to be at his brilliant best to take this race. Pat Kelly is a master trainer and he’s been waiting patiently to get his stable star out all season. I can’t see him having left too much to work on, but having said that I wouldn’t be disheartened should he run well in defeat either as only 1 day truly matters this season! If you want an eachway bet in the race you could do worse than back Grade 1 winning hurdler PRINCE OF SCARS 66/1 (EW). He’s been off the track for 683 days, but he’s a more than capable horse at this level on his day. The soft ground will be ideal for him and getting weight off a chunk of his rivals it wouldn’t be a surprise to me should he run a really nice race.

The fourth race of the day again is a race low in grade but it’s ultra competitive and with most bookmakers offering 5 places again here I’ll be taking two against the field. The first of those is the TJ Nagle trained GETADAY 15/2 (EW) finished 2nd the last day in a maiden hurdle at Cork and makes his handicap debut on what looks a reasonable mark. The ground looks sure to suit and while he’s been held up in the past I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him setting the pace or at least close to it here. He’s been progressing run on run and I find him extremely hard to oppose! An outsider to keep an eye out for is the thirteen years young SESKINANE 33/1 (EW) who ran a a solid race last time when he finished 8th at Cork last time and has been dropped 3lbs for that effort. He has trip and ground to suit here and he looks sure to outrun his lofty odds!

Finally we’re on to the big race of the day, the Goffs Thyestes Chase goes to post at 3:00 and a big handicap chase on soft ground has been non existent so far this season but it looks like it has been worth the wait, as a maximum field looks set to go to post.

The first horse to touch on is INVITATION ONLY 5/1 (EW) who was one of last seasons top irish novices over two and a half and three miles. He was placed at the Grade 1 level and has always had a lofty reputation at Closutton from his bumper days. It’s taken time for his to start showing this form on the track but he’s been getting progressively better season on season and I for one am hoping that his progession will continue tomorrow. He runs here off a mrk of 152 and I’d be staggered if in the fullness of time he doesn’t prove to be at least a 160s horse. At the very least he’s an eachway bet to nothing! MALL DINI 9/1 (EW) may well be a third season novice chaser and that might ring alarm bells for alot of punters. That said he’s been running to a very high level in both high quality beginners chase and big handicaps at major festivals in that time. He comes here off a workable mark with ground to suit and Patrick Mullins looks a great booking having got on so well with the horse last season at Cheltenham and they may well renew the partnership there this season also. He looks poised to run a good race and while he’s undoubtedly a bit of a cliff horse for me, I am certain he has one of these big pots in him! Last but not least in this race I have to give a kind mention to UP FOR REVIEW 14/1 (EW) who was on my radar for a long time last season in relation to the four miler at the Cheltenham Festival but his long awaited reappearance after a long absense didn’t come until very late in the season and so connections decided not to take him to Cheltenham. I expect here that he will be ridden prominently and with ground, trip and track to suit this big scopey chaser could take some pegging back and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was playing a leading role in the finish!

The penultimate race is a Beginners Chase and this looks a high quality field but the market seems in my opinion to have missed one here. That horse is GURTEEN 33/1 (EW) who comes here on the back off 481 days off the track, but on the plus side he hails from a yard in red hot form at the moment! Gurteen is a smasing looking chaser who has always caught the eye over hurdles and in bumpers as an above average sort and if I’m being honest I think 33/1 is a bit of an insult to this horses ability. Trip and ground won’t be an issue and with nothing in my eyes jumping off the page Gurteen has to be the bet at a big price. While we are taking for granted his fitness we are getting a massive price to take that chance. As you’ve seen alot today I’m not opposed to having more than one bet in a race but here I see no need to put my faith in anything other than Gurteen!

The closing bumper is a trappy event with most of the runners never having seen the track before so we are taking alot for granted here. There isn’t much on pedigree between the Mullins favourite Blue Sari and the JP McManus owned FRONT VIEW 7/4. All things considered with no form t go by and pedigree almost being a stalemate it’s price that sways me most and at 7/4 Front View offers the greater value on the day. With Derek O’Connor in the saddle our money is in safe hands and we can be safely assured he won’t found wanting when push comes to shove!

All that’s left is to finish with a quote of all that spring promises as we edge ever closer to the spring festivals, it’s up to you where your imagination takes you be it Cheltenham, Aintree, Fairyhouse or Punchestown…

“I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright.” – Millard Kaufmann

With quick ground playing havoc with the fixture list and trainers struggling to get their good horse out on what’s like summer ground in the month of January, it’s also playing havoc on my pocket in Irish racing at least that is. Praying for some Tuesday respite in what is difficult lower grade racing daily with plenty of surprises.

Heres hoping for a change of luck with the blog in the hope I haven’t jinxed myself!

The Fairyhouse opener is an average at best beginners chase with serial loser Grotesque the likely market leader so this punter at least will be siding with a horse from a yard that’s seen a winner in the last few days. That horse is AT YOUR EASE 11/4 and hails from the Arthur Moore yard. He was a winner the last day over hurdles in Naas winning snugly at the line by just over 2 lenghts. This son of Scorpion is a big scope individual and Arthur has found him a nice starting point to make his debut over fences and at a reasonable price too heels sure to gI’ve a good account of himself!

The second race of the day goes to post at 1:30 and a 2 mile 5 furlong handicap chase and two of the market leaders areally closely matched on their runs last time out in Tramore when only separated half a lenght in the finish. Personally I believe the horse that finished 2nd on that occasion, Robert Tyners GOTAWAY 11/4 has been running himself into form of late and I side with him to frank that form and even increase the margin between himself and the 3rd on that occasion Ticket To Ride.

The 2:00 is a tricky looking Rated Novice Hurdle and the market leader Eclair De Beaufeu is a horse I strongly believed would never win a maiden hurdle as I thought he was ungenuine and not putting it all in. In Limerick the last day though he managed to prove me wrong in a race where neother him nor the 2nd that day Envious Editor did much infront, trading places all the way up the straight pulling themselves up infront at regular intervals until getting passed and running on again. On that note I’m willing to take him on once again and ill take too darts to lower his colours today. The first of those is the ever reliable STOOSHIE 13/2 (EW) who’s is good yardstick at the level and you can set your watch by her to run to her 128 rating. The other is the Henry De Bromhead trained CAPITAL FORCE 14/1 (EW)who is a strong traveller in his racing although more often than not doesn’t find much when let down. That said he’s a horse that will surely come there travelling well at some point is just a matter of if he goes through with it on the day. He has the talent to take a contest like this though have no doubt about that!

The 2:30 is a mares maiden hurdle and it’s fair to say it shouldnt take much winning so it might be worth siding with the market leader IFYOUCATCHMENOW 2/1 a mare with plenty of experience to her name. She was 2nd the last day behind a horse of Henry De Bromheads in Limerick and a reproduction of that should be good enough unless something unexposed is to come from the woodwork. One that could could come from the woodwork may well be LAUGHING TRIX 16/1 (EW) who has only one start to her name between that flags and this daughter of Court Cave made a good impression that day to make a winning start to her career. Her trainer Dermot McLoughlin is more than capable and will no doubt have her ready to give her best. She may very well be one to give a good account of herself and cause a surprise at a big price.

The 3:00 is a handicap hurdle over 2 miles 4 furlongs and it looks a bit of a lottery. Some sort of case can be made for most of the field if you go back far enough and ill take two against the field. The first of those is TUNGSTEN KID 8/1 (EW) he’s a reasonably unexposed sort and he ran a decent race to finish 5th last time around Thurles and even though the handicapper has only dropped him 2lbs for that run it can only help get him a bit closer to getting a first win under his belt. The second notion is a wild one that will take a leap of faith but I believe we have good enough reason to take a chance at a big price. FATHER JED 25/1 (EW) was off the track for 2 years before returning at Cork in November. He’s had three runs already this season finishing down the field without ever threatening anything but there is hope in there. The previous layoff he had before his recent two year spell on the sidelines was almost a year off and on return he had three very similar runs to this season before springing to life at the fourth attempt at a big price and ill be hoping he can do something similar tomorrow! That win came off a mark of 83 and he followed that up then with a win off of 90. He’s back down to a mark of 91 but even more encouraging is Trevor Ryan is getting the leg up tomorrow for the first time. He claims a valuable 7lbs off his back which is very encouraging taking him down to a mark of 84 and that seals it for me I’ll just have to have something on him!

The penultimate race on the card is a maiden hurdle over 2 miles 7 furlongs and while it might surprise many including me but I’m going to give GETAWAY JOHN 2/1 another chance. While he’s disappointed on his first two hurdles runs he was in decent company and he has the form in the book last season in bumpers to suggest if he can get his act toget her he’d be more than capable of winning this. Even though I’m a believer in the fact that most Getaways need soft ground to be at their best, he is an exception to that rule and that’s the get out of jail free card I’m playing for him today!

The finale is an open looking bumper and a tentative vote goes in the direction of THUNDER DOWN UNDER 7/2 who has a placed effort in points to his name and is by Fame And Glory who has really made his mark on national hunt stock. While points may not have been totally wrong for him I firmly believe that he will be far better suited by a bumper over the 2 mile trip!

“Good luck is opportunity meeting preparedness” – Deepak Chopra

The start 2019 has been a slow and rather disappointing one on the tipping front but I guess that’s to be expected after a flaming 6 weeks in November into December where everything seemed to him the mark. The weekend was disappointing while still in profit thanks to racing on the other siDe of the Irish Sea of all things. Onwards and upwards I suppose and hopefully with a new week comes a change of luck. Things can only get better!

Today’s opener is an bit of a muddling race on paper. Willie Mullins has the top 3 in the market, two of which went of favourite in recent weeks and disappointed. The current market leader Farid was a heavily punted long odds on favourite when finishing a well beaten 3rd on his irish debut. Meanwhile Fenta Des Obeaux got no further than the first on her respective debut so he would be easier forgive, but still I’d be happier just to watch him for now. So we come to the bet in the race. ANDALUSA 9/2 (EW) has Paul Townend in the saddle and she made a more than satisfactory debut at Leopardstown over Christmas when she ran behind the a high class Flat horse Sir Erec and a Willie Mullins talking horse Tiger Tap Tap finishing 4th, beaten just over 9 lenghts. With that experience under her belt and in my book the strongest piece of form in the race, she has to be an eachway bet to nothing.

Onto the second race of the day a handicap hurdle over 2 miles. There is only one possible bet I could have in this race and that is PRINCESS MAHLER 7/2 (NAP) who was travelling all over a winner coming to 2 out in Limerick when taking a crashing fall. She owes me one for that day and hopefully if the quicker ground doesn’t prove too much of a hindrance she will come there in a simile style coming inot the straight but this time with a different result! To oppose her I wouldn’t know where to start and that for me at least makes her NAP material.

The 1:40 is a maiden hurdle over two and a half miles and there is a really strong favourite that I can’t oppose. Dallas Des Pictons 11/8 has two hurdles runs under his belt and ran a stormer last time to finish 2nd over Christmas to the highly regarded City Island at Leopardstown. He’s stepping back up in trip today and that should suit him. He stuck to his task very well last time but just lacked that bit of pace going to the last. His likely biggest danger is Lighthouse Warrier who was a decent bumper horse a few years ago and has obviously had his problems since then and I’ve a suspicion that this ground may just be too quick for him.

The 2:15 is a mares maiden hurdle and BLACK TEARS 11/10 held some very lofty company in bumpers last season. With a win and three 2nds to her name she has excelled in her career so far finishing 2nd in and valuable sales bumper and again in a Grade 3 at the Punchestown Festival! Opposition is thin on the ground and with the Willie Mullins inmate and close market rival coming here off of 417days off the track it may be fair to assume she will improve for the run.

The fifth race on the card is a very tricky handicap hurdle and you will have to have lady luck on your side to find the winner of this one! DON’T GO MAD 7/1 (EW) gets the nod from me here. He’s a 10 race maiden in bumpers and over hurdles and hails from the Charles Byrnes yard which means you follow me in and your own peril. He was well backed for a maiden hurdle overy Christmas at Limerick and was always behind the bridle on the day struggling a little to cling on the the main protagonists. The hope here is that now dropped into handicap company he will find the waters a bit easier to navigate. There are others with recent good form to their name. None more recent than British Art who ran well only a few days ago in Clonmel but I believe the selection has plenty scope for improvement in the handicap ranks and with the stable having a winner across the water on Saturday hopefully the money goes down and The Byrnesy Boys collect!

The 3:15 another handicap hurdle this time over three miles but the selection here links back to the aforementioned Don’t Go Mad in that same race at Limerick over Christmas. LADY WRITER 13/2 (EW) stayed on well that day in Limerick to take 3rd after the last with Don’t Go Mad back in 5th. She steps up 5 furlongs in trip today and that looks sure to suit. A mark of 99 looks fair and seeing as we can fancy Don’t Go Mad off of 105 granted he gave her 7lbs last time surely Lady Writer is every bit as appealing over this trip for a yard in form. Eachway shes sure to give a good account of herself and should at least run into a place.

The finale is a mares bumper and there’s only one way to go here. FASOLA TIDO 11/8 finished 2nd last time on her racecourse debut behind a what looks like a very nice mare that anyone who follows me will know all too well having won that day at 25/1 having been tipped up at 50s. That mare is Santa Rossa and I believe her to be a black type performer who will be making her presence felt in gradd bumpers this season. On that line of form the selection is impossible to oppose!

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated” – Maya Angelou

To touch briefly on day one of the blog before I get stuck into Sundays card, after a bad start where it looked to head towards just being one of those days the blog came out with a marginal profit on a day of great sport and that was backed up by a decent profit from some late tips on the other side of the water!

We strike on!

Sundays card at Punchestown gets underway at 12:40 in what can only be descrided as a low grade beginners chase for the time of year. YOUNG PADDYMC 9/4 ran a cracker in Limerick over Christmas on his firsr run in 256days on testing ground. Given he may well have been in need of that outing to put him right he ran with great credit. His jumping was good in the main and with that first experience over fences under his belt if the testing nature of the ground hasn’t taken too much out of him he should be bang there! If your looking for an eachway alternative I have a slip preference for Carlitos Bay 8/1 EW who has the form in the book to feature for minor money but it would be a bit disappointing should at least one or two of these not be too good for him.

Next up is a Novices Chase over 2m 4f and the favourite here is hard to oppose in the shape of  A Plus Tard 7/4! He made a very taking debut over fences at Gowran Park finishing a close 2nd to a decent yardstick in Dr Mikey. He backed that run up with a decisive victory over a highly regarded novice hurdler of last season Duc De Genevieres who was well punted on the day. Today the selection gets 14lb off a horse I’ve a lot of time for in Winter Escape who has won twice already this season over fences after taking up residence with Aidan Anthony Howard. This looks a tune up for Winter Escape who I’ve a strong suspicion is being kept for the Close Brothers Novice Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but keep that to yourself! So to shorten a story that’s forever getting longer, while I have a very high opinion of Winter Escape I feel the weight A Plus Tard is getting off him will see him come out on top! Needless to say I’ll be happy with a 3rd or 4th place finish for Winter Escape to tee up that Close Brothers tilt! On the off chance he manages to concede the weight I’ll be hovering over his price for the JLT as I rate A Plus Tard so highly that I would make Winter Escape a certainty in the JLT should he be capable of conceding those 14lbs!

Onto race 3 the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase. Here runs a very interesting horse indeed. In the colours of JP McManus MARKETS FIELD 11/4 may well only have 2 wins from 14 starts but he’s 1 from 1 over fences. Being from the Enda Bolger yard he will be schooled within an inch of his life and in a sphere which has seen a career best performance from him on his only start over fences. With improvement on that initial run more than likely he seems a cracking bet at the prices in a low grade affair which shouldn’t take a great deal of winning.

Onto the Amatuer Riders Grand National now and the Willie Mullins trained Undressed will most likely find himself once again at the head of the market by default. Hes been heavily punted the last twice since moving to Mullins and after running with a fair share of credit first time up, his run last time was diabolical. On the back of that he has to be taken on and we take him on with SNUGSBOROUGH HALL 9/2 who has been running consistantly of late and wouldn’t be winning out of turn here. He has good course form and while he will need to be ridden cold and smuggled into the race as late as possible, I believe Raymond Barrow is more than capable of delivering him under such circumstances and his 7lb claim could be invaluable in the quest to get his nose infront!

At 2:50 comes the big one the Moscow Flyer Grade 2 Novices Hurdle! The race has a great roll of honour and this for me at least is the most open renewal of the race I can remember! In a muddling race I’ll save time here as you could talk all day about this race and be none the wiser at the end of it! HARRIE 7/2 gets a tentative vote. He’s a horse loads of ability and is very highly regarded. He may have disappointed in his bumper career but he did get off the mark first time over hurdles round Tramore! While the form for many wouldn’t amount to much I’d be more positive in the fact that he travelled so well through his race and I’d be inclined to say he idled infront. That said I expect him to improve for the step up in class and in and wide open race he has as good a chance as any in my eyes for a combination that knows a thing or two about winning this race!

Almost there now…

The 3:20 a maiden hurdle over 2 miles sees the highly regarded Vision D’honneur from the Gordon Elliott stable, who came to the track at Leopardstown over Christmas with a lofty reputation and after travelling well faded away tamely I’m what was a disappointing effort for all the talk that was about for him beforehand. Once again I’m going to take him on, ELIXIR D’AINAY 5/2 gets the nod. The Mullins inmate cost a pretty penny and is another with a big reputation. He however is yet to blot his copybook and is a much bigger price than the previously disappointing favourite. Not only that but he also holds a grade 1 entry for the Dublin Racing Festival!

We’ve made it, the final race! This blogging lark is alot more time consuming than i thought, as I sit here waffling on.

The final race of the day is an open mares handicap hurdle and in a race where I have no strong opinion, I’m going to go with what I believe is a solid eachway option. That option is TARA DYLAN 8/1 EW who more often than not runs her race. Shes a keen going, strong travelling ball of fire really who at one point or another will come there swinging to catch the eye as we think here we go… Yet she hasn’t converted some guilt edge opportunities. That said she’s a solid option at the prices in my eyes as she normally runs her race and one of these days she may crop up at a decent price and we will think if only we gave her one more chance!

To finish with a quote inspired by Tara Dylan. Her day will surely come!

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” Joyce Meyer

With the new year comes the beginning of a venture into the realms of a blog for IrishNHTips! The blog will contain all my thoughts for the days racing including the reasoning behind my selections! Enough waffling, one David Jennings is enough for any sport! Let’s crack on!

The opening race of the day, a mares maiden hurdle goes to post at 12:25 and Caravation will be a likely warm order favourite! A bumper winner at Naas before finishing 3rd in a Listed Mares Bumper at Navan behind a very impressive winner on the day. She reversed form that Listed bumper form the last day on what was for both their first starts over hurdles behind last seasons Champion Bumper winner Relegate! Caravation is currently a very skinny 8/11 and this may surprise many after but I’m more than happy to take her on. Why? I don’t believe Relegate is the same horse we saw last season in bumpers. Be that because she hasn’t taken all that well to the addition of hurdles or she’s under a cloud or more likely in my book she needs a step up in trip but i think it’s form worth taking on! I take her on with GREAT WHITE SHARK who ran on the flat for James Fanshaw reaching a mark of 86 now having her first start for Willie Mullins. A reproduction of her flat form or close to it and she won’t be far away. We should have a solid pace on from the word go with the Fav likely to try make the pace but expect plenty pressure to be applied by Tens Or Better and they could just set it up for the Mullins mare at a tasty 9/4!

Whats that I said about one David Jennings…

Race two sees a Willie Mullins favourite in the shape of LA SORELITA who was well punted on debut for the yard in a Grade 3 Juvenile Hurdle overy Christmas at Leopardstown. That day she got a beautiful run up the inner only to find absolutely nothing off the bridle. I’d be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and put a line through that. If the money that day is to be believed then she has a far easier assignment here and 15/8 looks big to me! If your looking for an eachway bet in the race it may well be fruitful to keep LEVER DU SOLEIL on side at around 14/1 who looked as if he was going to deal with Got Trumped 4/1 with ease when falling 2 out round Punchestown in November!

The 1:35 is a 3mile Handicap Hurdle and I think it’s fair to say Arthur Moore has done a great job with Brosna George who had proved difficult to win with when in the care of Ross O’Sullivan but this I believe will see an end to his upward curve. After a 9lb hike in the weights for a 4L win last time in a race that hasn’t worked out the best he’s well worth taking on! I throw 2 darts here eachway with KALUM RIVER 15/2 who is making his handicap debut after contesting some hot bumpers and maiden hurdles and now takes a step up in trip. The second of the darts goes to SHAR WHATS THERUSH 8/1 who ran a stormer in Limerick over Christmas only to be beat by a very well punted horse on the day!

In the 2:10 DUCA DE THAIX 7/2 has ran a few more than decent novices close in Beginners Chases aleady this season and brose his maiden tag last time in handicap company. He jumps well and the confidence he may have got from getting his head infront that day may see more improvement come from him! Take him on at your peril!

The next is a Beginners Chase and I will keep this brief! Believe it when you read it I know! IMPACT FACTOR 2/1 was a really nice novice hurdler last season and while his jumping hasn’t always been fluent, a clear round should suffice to see him win a beginners like this with a bit in hand!

The 3:20 is a Rated Novice Chase over 2m 4f and I’m willing to give AGENT BORU 7/1 a chance eachway! The second of his chase runs when beaten 19L by Mortal was a decent one and is looking better ever day now with Mortal running a stormer in Grade 1 company over Christmas! This is a lower level to what he’s used to competing in over hurdles and he may well find his level here and I expect a very decent showing!

The closing bumper doesn’t look the strongest contest but there is 1 piece of form in here that stands out! RUN WILD FRED 8/11 was 3rd behind the highly regarded Envoi Allen last time in Listed company at Navan beaten just under 10L! That was a highly promising run and although the price is short I can’t see any way that if he reproduses that run that he could possibly get beat here!

Heres hoping for a good profitable day, with come luck and plenty of good racing!

“Luck is a matter of preperation meeting opportunity.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton