Gowran Park Wednesday

Not a bad card there tonight, think could be a few worth a punt at decent odds:

5.15 is a race Aidan O’Brien has won in 5 of the last 10 years. Treasure Beach was a good 2nd in a 7F Leopardstown maiden, form of which has worked out well with the 4th winning next time out and the 5th and 6th both placing on their next start. Like all O’Brien’s 2yo Treasure Beach can be expected to improve plenty for the run but will be on the short side and an odds on shot in this kind of 16 runner maiden doesn’t interest me, no bet.

5.45 Praise Be might be worth a speculative bet on her handicap debut. She clearly needed her first run and improved markedly for it when finishing 2nd of 6 in a 5f Tipp maiden, beaten 4 lengths by a well-touted Tommy Stack juvenile. The horse that finished last in that maiden has since been placed in a nursery off 62.
Praise Be was upped in trip to 7f on her latest start when a staying on 5th of 16 in a competitive Galway maiden, won unsurprisingly by a Dermot Weld 2yo. The horse who finished 3rd, Hasty Katie, won another Galway maiden later that week and the horse that finished just ahead of Praise Be was the very well bred Why from the O’Brien yard, who holds a couple of group 1 entries. The form of the maiden was also boosted by the 9th finishing runner-up in a Curragh maiden next time out.
Praise Be looks to have gotten in lightly off a mark of 68 for her first run in a nursery and John Joseph Murphy’s 2yos are in fine order. Murphy has only saddled 2 juvenile winners in the past 5 season, one of which came this month in a nursery. In the past 2 weeks he’s had 1 win and 3 places from 6 juvenile runners. He’s booked Sam James to take off 7lbs, which means Praise Be will carry just 7-11 in this, which means she will receive 24lbs from top weight Suntan, who has good form in the book but has struggled on undulating tracks before. Pity there's only 7 runners, which curbs each way possibilities but still think Praise Be is worth a small win bet at 14/1 PP/WH.

6.15 Putapriceonthat has only won once in 18 flat starts but he has shown his best form on fast ground and a mile appears to be his optimum trip. He only just failed to get up in a 1m Leopardstown handicap off 73 on his third last start when beaten a neck by Charles Byrne’s Napa Star, the 4th in that race Skyway won off 1lb higher next time out.
He wasn’t suited by the 1m2f on good to yielding on his second last start when finishing down the field in a Curragh handicap but for my money ran a race full of potential last time at the Galway Festival, which is well worth watching.
He jumped out well from a low in a 1m Galway handicap  on good to firm and got settled nicely on the rail behind the leader early on but got shuffled back after a couple of furlongs and found himself trapped in a pocket and being bumped about coming into the straight. The first 2 had already flown by the time he got out but he did stay on well and only missed out on 3rd spot by a neck and short head. He finished 5th off 75, the same mark he runs off today.
Sean Treacy won this race in 2008 and he has a 19% strike rate with his older horses at Gowran. He has booked Declan McDonogh to ride Putapriceonthat again today, and in this smaller field on fast ground I think he’ll go well. 11/2 generally

6.45 is a very competitive handicap for just a 7-runner field. La Chassotte is looking to rack up the 5-timer but has gone up 7lbs for her latest narrow win in a weak handicap. I think the handicapper may finally have her but I’m not willing to oppose her as she is as tough as anything. No bet for me in this.

7.20 Awe Inspiring (each way) may be up to winning a listed race now brought back in trip. Her maiden win came over 1m2f and for my money she hasn’t been seeing out the 1m4f trip on her 4 runs since that Cork maiden win. On the basis of her 5th in the Irish Oaks she looked up to winning a listed race but bizarrely she attempted to make all in a 1m4f Cork listed race last time and unsurprisingly faded over a furlong out.
She is by Montjeu but out of a mare call Nuriva who was a fairly useful sprinter, so while she has stamina on her sire’s side, her mother was all speed. The drop to 1m 1½f today could bring her right back to form and the fact that Murtagh has chosen Famous means we should get a decent price. 16/1 PP

7.55 Silly Dancer (each way) won this race last year and should go close again today. Adrian Mc****ss’ horses are really hitting form. In the past 2 weeks he’s had 4 winners (flat and jumps) from 11 runners, including winning a valuable 7f handicap at the Galway Festival.
Silly Dancer racked up two wins in August 2009, landing a 1m Leopardstown handicap off 58 and then winning this race off 63. She struggled on her next 8 starts off higher marks but she was placed on both her starts in July, in 1m2f Leopardstown handicaps off 62.
She was 3rd in a 1m2f Leop handicap on her second last start, beaten 5 lengths by Strandfield Lady, who has won twice since, most recently off a stone higher. The 5th in that race also won next time out off same mark. Denny Crane finished 4 lengths ahead of Silly Dancer that day but Silly Dancer meets him on 5lb better terms today.
Silly Dancer was never able to get into proceedings over a mile at Leopardstown last time when trip was too short but back up in trip here at Gowran where she has gained 2 of her 5 wins she looks a decent each way bet off a mark 1lb lower than she won this race last season. 7/1 B365

8.25 Edallora (each way) should go well in this for John Oxx, who has had 3 winners and 4 placed finishers in this race from 10 runners in the past 10 years.
Edallora made a promising start to her career when 4th of 17 in a maiden over this course and distance, beaten 5½ lengths by Barbadine who was 5th in a listed race on next start. The 2nd and 3rd from this maiden both won next time out.
She improved on that first run to take 3rd in a 1m2½f Down Royal maiden when hitting the front a furlong out but just running out of steam in the final 100 yards.
She was 4th in a 1m4f Tipp maiden last time out. She travelled well and made headway into 4th over 2 furlongs out but was unable to make any further impression after. The form has worked out well, the winner was placed in a 17 runner Leopardstown handicap off 74 on latest start. The 2nd and 5th finish 1st and 3rd in a maiden at the Galway Festival
She has proven she is suited by this course and distance and with John Oxx’s good record in this race she can be expected to make the frame at least. 7/2 B365