2.50 Gowran Park: Gordon Elliott goes gung-ho as Escaria Ten leads his Thyestes nine

The legendary Arkle and Grand National heroes Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde feature on the Thyestes roll of honour, as well as dual Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Djakadam, and Gordon Elliott is going gung-ho in his attempt to get his name on the list for a third time.

Elliott first won the race in 2018 with Monbeg Notorious and he followed up two years later with Coko Beach, who, incidentally, is one of his nine challengers this time too. He is around a 14-1 shot, though, and will have to defy a 7lb higher mark this time.

The class act in the race is Escaria Ten. Third in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in 2021, he made a promising return to action in a Listed race at Thurles last month and Djakadam (2015) and Siegemaster (2011) both carried top-weight to victory, so it can be done.

Pencilfulloflead will adore conditions. He is a proven mudlark and beat Latest Exhibition in a Grade 2 novice chase at Punchestown in 2020. We have only seen him twice in the last two years and, despite finishing last of four in the Clonmel Oil Chase in November, there were definitely positives to be taken out of that over a trip too short.

Elliott, who is just 4-9 to train the winner with Paddy Power, has secured the services of the experienced Rob James, who is terrific value for his 7lb claim. You can certainly see why he is only a single-figure price.

Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer in the rich history of the Thyestes and the most recent of his eight wins was with Total Recall in 2020. Carefully Selected may be the best of his bunch this time following a perfectly respectable return in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

That was his first start for a whopping 1,022 days, since a beaten odds-on favourite in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in 2020, and he ought to improve plenty for it. Jumping has always been his issue, though, and he wouldn't want to miss a beat in a competitive big-field handicap like this.

Roger Brookhouse's colours were carried to victory by Champagne West in 2017 and Gabbys Cross gives him a big chance of winning it again.

Winner of the Galway Blazers last July, Gabbys Cross circled the entire field rounding the final bend in the Paddy Power and but for a mistake at the last, he would have got closer to winner Real Steel than the four lengths. He has only been put up 1lb for that and going back right-handed looks ideal. He appeals most from a value point of view.

'She has a right chance' – Murphy full of hope

There was a rousing reception for the popular Bob Murphy when he led Darrens Hope back into the winner's enclosure after winning the Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown in November and victory in the Thyestes would be a proper fairytale.

The mare sneaks in here off a mark of 131 and Murphy is convinced she is a big player. He is dreaming and who could blame him. 

"She's in great form and it's great that she got into the race," the trainer said. "Gowran will suit her as she likes going right-handed and she's always going that way around at home in the field. I'd say she has a right chance."

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Escaria Ten, Pencilfulloflead, Coko Beach, Frontal Assault, Braeside, Defi Blue, Punitive, Dunboyne and Fakiera
The Thyestes is a great race and we seem to have a strong team for it this year. Escaria Ten has a touch of class and ran very well at Thurles. Hopefully, he will come forward from that. He has a lot of weight but you'd like to think he has a decent chance. Rob James takes a valuable 7lb off Pencilfulloflead who should enjoy the ground and has some decent form as a novice. He's a nice horse. Coko Beach won the race two years ago. He's a bit higher in the handicap now but he still retains plenty of enthusiasm and I wouldn't rule him out. We've always thought there might be a big handicap in Frontal Assault and he looks to have a solid each-way chance. Braeside and Defi Bleu have both lost their way of late and need to bounce back here. Punitive won the Porterstown last time and this was the logical place to come next. Jordan [Gainford] gets on well with him so we've kept the partnership intact for this. Dunboyne is a course winner who disappointed us last time. Fakiera has been pretty consistent of late and ran very well in the Portestown behind Punitive.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Carefully Selected, Egality Mans and Captain Kangaroo
Carefully Selected will hopefully come on for his run in the Paddy Power. He had been off for a long time and he was bang there coming down to the second-last. Egality Mans was a bit disappointing in the same race and Captain Kangaroo came down early in it. He won the Cork National for Kieran Callaghan, who is back on board, so hopefully he can go well.

Barry Connell, trainer of Espanito Bello
He has a nice weight. If he came back to the form of his novice season then he would have a good chance. He has had a few issues over the last 18 months but he seems in good form now and we would be going there optimistic he can give a good account of himself. He was rated as high as 147 as a novice and was second in a Grade 2, so he should be competitive off this mark.

Noel Meade, trainer of Lieutenant Command
He's in good form and the trip is a little bit of an unknown but he always looked like he would stay. I think he will go on the ground.

Eric McNamara, trainer of Donkey Years
He's always been a very straightforward horse to train. He won a good race at the Punchestown festival for us last year and we've always been hopeful that he could win one of those high-profile chases like the Thyestes.

Liz Doyle, trainer of Flash De Touzaine
I was delighted with his first run of the season but he ran no race in the Troytown. I thought he was much better at Limerick the last day over an insufficient trip, despite him falling, as I thought he was running a reasonable race at the time. This trip should suit and we have a nice weight, so hopefully we can be competitive. He has won around right-handed tracks before, so he should have no issue handling Gowran.

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