Gowran Saturday: Well-bred Aubineau looks a snip at Gowran

A mark of 60 looks very lenient for John Joe Murphy’s unexposed half-sister to Guineas third Ivawood.

13:55 Racing Again August 15th Apprentice Handicap 

John Joe Murphy and Danny Redmond teamed up to score at Killarney recently with Emperor Waltz, and the trainer/jockey combination have sound claims here with the lightly-raced Aubineau, who significantly also holds an entry at Galway on Tuesday. She will definitely improve for tackling a mile, but has acquitted herself well in a couple of handicaps so far, particularly when 3 lengths fifth of 14 to Arbourfield in a course-and-distance event at the end of May. She has worn a tongue tie for both handicap outings, and the fact she now goes without after a break suggests she may have had her wind tweaked in the meantime. The daughter of Holy Roman Emperor has a very attractive pedigree, being a half-sister to Ivawood, who not only landed the July Stakes and Richmond Stakes as a juvenile, but went on to be third in the 2000 Guineas behind Gleneagles. Her dam won three times on the Flat and is a half-sister to Chesham and Royal Lodge winner Berkshire out of the top-class racemare Kinnaird, winner of the Prix de L’Opera for the late Pat Haslam. Given her profile and pedigree, she is potentially thrown in off a mark of 60, and looks the bet of the weekend with improvement to come. 

Tip: Back Aubineau @ (NAP)  

15:35 Gowran Park Handicap  

Acari was a taking winner over course and distance on her penultimate start, and he ran well in hisr bid to follow up at Down Royal despite a poor draw, which forced him to challenge very wide. That manoeuvre proving too much in the end. He’s been eased slightly in the weights for that effort, which looks very fair, and has been handed a much better draw on his return to the scene of his win, so is taken to get back to winning ways. The son of High Chaparral is unexposed on turf, the runs here and at the Maze being his only handicap outings on turf. That augurs well for the prospect of a little further improvement, and with his rivals all being older and/or more exposed, he appears to have plenty in the credit column.  

Tip: Back Acari @