Gowran Park, Saturday 25 July 2026: Tips and Analysis

Gowran Park, Saturday 25 July 2026: Tips and Analysis

Gowran Park serves up an eight-race card on good ground, with the Listed Marble City Stakes the standout contest. Joseph Patrick O’Brien is the trainer to follow here: 19 winners from 59 runners in the last 14 days is an exceptional strike rate and his yard clearly has runners ready to fire. With Glorious Goodwood just three days away, connections will want their horses sharp and there’s every reason to take his representatives seriously at this mid-week fixture.

3:22 — John Fleming Irish EBF Marble City Stakes (Listed, 1m4f)

Selection: Saga Gaga (4/1, Boyle Sports)

The form figures of 711 tell you exactly what you need to know about Saga Gaga. Mike O’Callaghan’s filly has won her last two starts and arrives here in cracking nick. The yard has hit two from 19 in the last fortnight, which is modest, but the horse’s momentum is what counts. She steps up in class for this Listed contest but she’s improving fast and the 1m4f trip on good ground looks made for her.

The market leaders deserve scrutiny. Amadeus Mozart (2/1 Boyle Sports) is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who hits 22% at Gowran Park, but his form of 1-2722 shows a horse that hasn’t won since his debut and has drifted out of contention in his more recent efforts. Ronan Whelan takes the ride, which is positive, but the yard’s 14-day figures are poor at 4/44. Believed (11/4, Boyle Sports) is a live contender for J.P. Murtagh but that trainer is 0/28 in the last fortnight and the filly has placed without winning in her last three. The form is consistent but there’s nothing to suggest she’ll find the extra needed here at Listed level.

Nil Bua Gan Dua (4/1, Boyle Sports) represents the J.P. O’Brien yard, whose current form is electric, and Dylan Browne McMonagle’s course record is 17% at Gowran Park. That’s a legitimate each-way case in a race with only three places on offer. But the recent form of 5-3144 doesn’t scream “Listed winner” and Saga Gaga’s back-to-back victories give her the edge in terms of momentum.

At 4/1, Saga Gaga is the value play in an open Listed race. Two wins on the spin, good ground that suits, and a horse clearly peaking at the right time.

1:40 — Irish EBF Auction Series Fillies Maiden (7f)

Selection: Seaxburh (10/11, Boyle Sports)

Joseph Patrick O’Brien’s Seaxburh is odds-on for good reason. Form of 562 in a 2yo maiden context shows consistent improvement and Dylan Browne McMonagle keeps the ride, which tells you the stable is happy with where this filly is heading. O’Brien’s yard at 19/59 in the last 14 days is the standout stat on the card today, and in an 11-runner maiden, the second-string horses from weaker yards are unlikely to trouble a filly with live experience and a top-tier handler.

Diamonds And Dames (7/2, Boyle Sports) is the logical danger for Mrs John Harrington but that yard is 0/29 in the last fortnight. Shane Foley is a high-class jockey but he’s been riding plenty of losers lately for this stable. Spectrolyte (6/1, Boyle Sports) is the trainer-jockey combination of Andrew Slattery with himself, which always demands a second look, and 4/39 in the last 14 days is at least active form.

This is a short-priced selection and the each-way terms only cover three places from 11 runners, so a win-only bet is the route here. Seaxburh should be too good.

5:40 — Tote Race (1m1½f)

Selection: Leopold The First Each-Way (4/1, Boyle Sports)

Summer Is Tomorrow (8/13, Boyle Sports) is the prohibitive favourite for J.P. O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle, and yes, the yard is flying. But form of -46922 includes a string of placed efforts without winning, and the 8/13 price with a horse still searching for his first win asks a lot of punters. If he gets beaten, the race is wide open.

Leopold The First makes more appeal at 4/1 each-way. The form of 722-22 shows a horse that consistently hits the frame without getting his head in front, which is frustrating but also tells you he belongs at this level. Consistent placed efforts on good ground over middle distances give him every chance of finding the each-way payout even if the favourite does what’s expected. Andrew Lee’s yard has limited recent data but the horse’s profile is of a genuine contender here.

Benevento (9/2, Boyle Sports) is the other outsider to consider but the form of 4004-7 is uninspiring and the Robson De Aguiar yard is at 2/16 recently, which isn’t enough to follow blindly.

Leopold The First each-way at 4/1 is the sensible play in a race where the favourite is poor value at odds-on.

Today’s NAP

Saga Gaga — John Fleming Irish EBF Marble City Stakes (3:22, Gowran Park)
Odds: 4/1 — Boyle Sports (others: 4/1 LiveScore Bet)

Two wins on the spin for Mike O’Callaghan’s rapidly-improving filly, stepping up to Listed company on ground that suits. The market leaders are shorter on reputation than current form, with Amadeus Mozart’s trainer running cold at 4/44 in the last fortnight and the 2/1 price not reflecting a horse who hasn’t won in four attempts. Saga Gaga is peaking, improving, and at 4/1 she represents the standout value on the Gowran card.