‘Biggest star on show’ - Four selections for your Lucky 15 at Gowran on Saturday Ireland’s sole meeting on Saturday is at Gowran Park and there is a competitive eight-race card to take in. With the ground officially described as heavy, it is going to be a slog for those who have made the trip and those possessing stamina should have an advantage. Our expert has gone through the card and picked out four strong fancies to consider for a Lucky 15. 12.45 Gowran Park - Arouet Paddy Twomey doesn’t have too many runners over jumps but he’s a shrewd operator and it’s always worth keeping an eye out for his horses. He runs the lightly raced ex-Flat recruit Arouet and a big run could be on the cards, on his first start over hurdles. Running three times on the Flat, he showed plenty when second on debut at Cork in April and improved to go one better at Roscommon the following month. No fewer than five subsequent winners have come out of the race, making the form rock-solid. Connections then stepped him up in trip and grade for a Listed contest at Leopardstown in June and he acquitted himself well, finishing second behind a subsequent Group 2 winner. He looks like a very smart recruit and there are plenty of reasons to be confident. 13:20 Gowran Park - Kawaboomga Willie Mullins’ Kawaboomga has been off the track for over a year but the six-year-old showed a significant amount of potential in two starts over hurdles last term. He won a bumper at Limoges for previous connections and ran with credit in a four-year-old hurdle at Auteuil after that, where he kept on to finish second. Only stablemate and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Kopek Des Bordes was too good for him on stable debut and he duly obliged at Fairyhouse next time, at the expense of William Munny, who went on to finish second behind Kopek Des Bordes at Cheltenham. Fitness is the only significant concern and the JP McManus-owned gelding could be one to follow for the rest of the season. 13:55 Gowran Park - Bally Free Gordon Elliott had to go to £160,000 to pick Bally Free up at the sales and the six-year-old was a very impressive winner of an Irish point at Farmaclaffley last February. He made his first start under rules in a 2m6f maiden hurdle at Punchestown back in November and appeared to need the run that day. The extra two furlongs made a big difference at Fairyhouse next time and he managed to get off the mark. This horse is probably going to come into his own over fences next term but he has a big engine and should be competitive at this sort of level. 15:40 Gowran Park - Impaire Et Passe Impaire Et Passe is the biggest star on show at Gowran on Saturday and it’s exciting to see the very talented gelding back in action. This horse looked like a world-beater when easily winning the 2023 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He won his first couple of starts over fences last term, including a Grade 1 at Limerick, and also went on to claim the Manifesto Novices' Chase at the Aintree Festival. Brought down at Punchestown after that, he retains potential and this is a good starting point for the season.
