4:19 Gowran Park Tips

Mythical Rock's strength is consistency and stamina. It doesn't always lead, but keeps pressure on the leaders, ready to pounce late. At Gowran Park's 4:19, it could exploit any hesitation from others, turning a steady race into a powerful finishing run. A solid, strategic bet.

My selection is SLANEY SWAGGER, a consistent 4yo maiden (21 starts) whose profile is a perfect match for this test. His Gowran Park record is exceptional, and the key piece of form is his narrow defeat over this exact C&D on heavy ground. While his inability to win is a clear concern, the 5lb jockey claim effectively negates his current mark (OR 58). His proven stamina will be a massive asset in what promises to be a strongly-run race on testing ground, making him the most solid and reliable pick in a field full of question marks.

Lust did rather well to get into fifth place last time from a very slow start. Then ridden along before going wide but ran on. Won here this time of year before and gets a good draw, so can go close.

Four-time winner Roderick should love the rain-softened ground and looks a good each-way bet at these odds with 5 places on offer. He has finished runner-up three times earlier this year before winning on yielding ground at Naas in July off 48. He has been unplaced in two starts since, but both were on good ground. Off 53 with a claimer taking off 10 lbs, he should go well on the forecast soft ground.

This looks competitive, but one that looks to offer some value is Tim Doyle-trained Lisabetta. Running off a basement mark of 40 here. Won off a mark of 47 over a furlong further here in October 2023 (heavy going). Ran well on return from a summer break last October and has had a similar rest this time around. This 7-year-old Gutaifan mare has won 3 of 40 starts and is probably a good deal better than the current handicap rating. 7 lbs claimer Julian Pietropaolo adds to the positives.

Small each-way tip, this horse may be worth one more chance. Poor run over this distance last time but the slow start didn't help, had been running quite well before that , especially at this trip. Most of his best form has been shown at this sort of distance, runs from what looks like a fair mark today.

Aingeal Dorcha is a front-runner who has shown me some flashes of ability, with 2 wins and 3 places from 18 runs, including a course win. He should get a good position tracking the pace and, if he settles well, could give a run for the money here. Still lightly raced over 11f, so there may be more improvement to come, making him an each-way today.