GORDON Elliott will have been thrilled with his performance in the two Galway features, not only winning the Plate and Hurdle but adding a placed horse in each, though the starter for those races should be less pleased with his efforts, the openings ragged at best with at least a couple of horses losing their chances.

These are extremely competitive events and horses can be unpredictable, but the start to the Hurdle was sub-standard last year too, and they need to be better.

In the Plate, Western Fold always travelled best and ran out a commanding winner; nice ground brings out the best in him, his figures with good in the description reading:F2111, and with his novice status intact for a while yet, connections will be hoping for a dry autumn.

This was a well-run race, the sectional from three out being 79.8 seconds per Timeform which was the second slowest of the seven chases run at the meeting, only the handicap chase on Sunday run on soft ground taking longer but even so a prominent position was a big help.

The first, second and fourth were in the first five jumping the second fence, and those three were the only meaningful runners turning in, Jesse Evans running his typical game race in defeat while Amirite looked as sweet as ever he has in first-time blinkers.

Form questionable

The value of the form is questionable, however, with many of the fancied, unexposed runners jumping poorly. Anyway unseated at the fourth, Down Memory Lane was well-positioned but made several late errors while Nurburgring surprisingly took an inside route that found out his jumping.

Of those inconvenienced by the start, Three Card Brag shaped well in eighth. Typically a front-runner, he got left roughly five lengths and Jack Kennedy made an early move through the field, but he was hung wide throughout.

He did well to still be in contention leaving the dip before his efforts told though probably isn’t one to get carried away with as he has generally failed when up in class.

Hurdle start

In anything, the start was more impactful in the Hurdle, a shorter race where there is less time to make up ground. Royal Hollow got badly left and had no chance, her two runs at the meeting hardly reflective of the form she has been in throughout the summer.

Mr Percy and Addragoole were also slowly away while race favourite Puturhandstogether was done few favours either.

As with the Plate, a good early position was a positive and, in the circumstances, the first past the post Helvic Dream put up a big effort.

Initially in rear, he made a slight mistake at the first and was then hampered by a faller but made up his ground gradually to lead at the last. He finds it hard to get his head in front these days but is in terrific form.

Speaking of older horses in great form, Lord Erskine was another to shape well in seventh. He too made a mistake at the first and had to come from behind, these faster conditions not in his favour, and he has been lightly raced by his standards lately, this just his second start since Easter.

MANY of the figures from Galway were positive, the crowds and betting turnover up, though the one that brought joy to most were about the spread of success. A total of 33 individual trainers had a winner, the most in the last 10 years, with 31 the next highest in 2017 and 23 the lowest in 2019.

We are used to dominant yards putting up big numbers at the fixture, whether it be Willie Mullins or Dermot Weld, but ‘The Races’ seems to have become less of a focus for Mullins in the last two years.

Having broken double figures in terms of winners in all but one Galway between 2017 and 2023, he has had five and four winners in the last two years respectively.

He was still the top trainer at the meeting on their points-based system but Gordon Elliott trained more winners with five and as Mullins quipped afterwards, ‘Gordon got all the money’ as he won the three most valuable National Hunt races at the meeting, the Plate, the Hurdle and the big staying handicap on the Saturday.

Elliott’s past record at Galway had been good in the Plate and not much else but five winners here was his best return yet and followed on from four last year.

Another top jumps yard to have a better meeting was Gavin Cromwell. He had never had more than two winners at Galway, drawing a blank seven times since 2014, but had three winners this time and could have had more with three runners-up beaten a half-length or less. That was a good return given he didn’t hold many leading chances, jut one favourite and anther joint-favourite over the week.

LAST Monday was another Naas meeting run on slow ground, and it proved another card where horses racing up the near side were heavily favoured.

Twenty-one ran in the Ballyhane Stakes and the first six home were drawn 23, 15, 21, 3, 19 and 22, the English-trained favourite and fourth Jel Pepper doing best of those drawn low.

With that said, the form might yet prove strong. The overall time was the same as the earlier handicap for older sprinters despite the winner there carrying 19lbs less than Howd’yadoit and the Lyons juvenile impressed with how he travelled through the race, six furlongs suiting him more than the five he has been racing over for much of the season.

Summer Is Tomorrow was given second place in the stewards’ room and shaped well himself; the step down to six furlongs looked all against him and he was under pressure from half way.

Despite a high draw, he had to make his challenge more towards the middle of the track while also being carried left by Unbreakable Duke.

Outside chance

Summer Is Tomorrow had done well to win on his previous start at Down Royal when conceding first run and would have an outside chance in something like the Goffs Million unless a star turns up while his stablemate Which Wolf Wins also ran well in seventh.

He was backing up quickly after Galway and racing in the near side group, was caught out on the wing of the group and eventually came up the middle.

In the earlier sprint handicap, recent stable switcher Genesis did best of those towards the far side of the track, beating the ones that raced with him well, and is worth persisting with at this distance. He has raced over seven furlongs on his three previous starts this year, often running well while not fully seeing out the trip, but a forceful ride over six furlongs might prove best.