WHEN everything falls into place, like the flick of a switch, there’ll be weeks like this. Given how many hard-luck stories there tends to be at the merry-go-round that is the Galway Festival, Ross O’Sullivan’s four-timer at the meeting 12 months falls into the remarkable achievement category.

With his last two runners before the festival winning at Cork and Kilbeggan, he made it six consecutive runners hitting the back of the net in Ireland when Champella, Talk In The Park, Donnie Devito and Volantis brought home the bacon during Ballybrit’s summer bonanza. It’s hard to remember others having a week like it in recent memory, at least.

It is only right that those exploits caught the attention of new owners, who have helped the yard climb the ranks in the intervening period. An Irish Champions Festival winner followed shortly after with the now Group 3-placed Dance Night Andday, Eagles Reign formed part of a Listowel Harvest Festival double in the Listed Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle, Giant Haystacks struck at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and Switch From Diesel collected in listed company at Fairyhouse in April.

Ahead of his return to Galway with a possible team of 16 runners, his string have been ticking along nicely, including a 125/1 listed winner at Roscommon with stable debutant Chally Chute.

“The horses are fit, healthy and well. They’ve been running well all year and holding their form,” says O’Sullivan.

“It’s possible that those horses who were well handicapped last year and won two or three races are still running really consistently but numerically aren’t bringing in quite the same tally of winners - that happens, though.

Quality uplift

“Once they’re running well and are fit and healthy, that’s what matters, and it’s been a big help for our profile to have runners in group races through this year, winning listed races too.”

With such a positive lift to come from his strong return at the meeting in 2024, it’s hardly any surprise that this year has revolved around getting back to Galway with many of his string.

“It definitely has [been the plan] – I’d say last year helped all sides of the business, flat and National Hunt,” O’Sullivan says. “We got a lot of new owners and it helped raise our profile. This meeting is the summer highlight of the racing festivals.

“You mightn’t have that firepower in the winter but if you can focus horses towards Galway, I think it makes sense. There are plenty of trainers before me who have done it and had great success out of it.

“We had a nice bunch of horses that were suited to going. Most owners are revved to go down there as well – some of them might need hoods and cross nosebands for heading there! Between the television coverage Galway gets, to the crowds there, people holidaying out west and everything else, it works to be there.”

The lead-up to this year’s meeting is much different for O’Sullivan, with the added attention of the Galway Races team and Horse Racing Ireland holding the festival’s press launch at the Greenhills, Co Kildare trainer’s yard this week.

“As Morgan Tracey, the photographer, put it to me, this is a bit like a band putting out their second album… It’s nervous times after the first one was a good success!” he quips.

“I’m not sure how the second album is going to go but we’ll be doing our best. The outlook you want to have going down there is that you want one winner. You need it all to go together.

“We do have a nice team of horses; three previous festival winners from the four we had last year. There are a couple of young horses coming along who might be under the radar a little bit. You’re excited and nervous, all of those feelings rolled together.”

Beautiful Chaos

Hop House 13 Handicap, 1m 6f 14yd (Friday)

“A solid handicapper who hopefully can run another good race. She was given 3lb for finishing a close second at Down Royal the other day and has a bit of experience around Galway.”

Bibe Mus

Gra Chocolates Handicap, 1m 4f 84yd (Monday)

“A three-year-old who came from France. He’s a little bit under the radar and will be our first runner for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. He’s a Camelot three-year-old who will possibly go jumping but heads here for a handicap next week.”

Chally Chute

Guinness Premier Handicap, 1m 4f (Friday)

“He’ll go back for the mile-and-a-half premier handicap, which he was second in last year and third in the year before [when trained by Mick Halford and Tracey Collins]. It was brilliant to win a listed race with him last time at Roscommon and he’ll be close to top-weight in this now after a 7lb rise for that win. He loves Galway and probably wants a dig in the ground. We’re looking forward to him.”

Club Manager

Kenny Galway Handicap Hurdle, 3m 60yd (Sunday)

“He has the ability to win another race and I think the three-mile trip will suit him. We tried him over fences the last day [when fifth at Tipperary] and he jumped okay but he’ll go back hurdling for the time being. He has a chance.”

Donagh Meyler on Donnie Devito (left) and Shane Markey on Talk In The Park (right), both winners at last year's Galway Festival \ Morgan Treacy

Donnie Devito

Guinness Beginners Chase, 2m 6f 111yd (Friday)

“He’s getting the hang of things over fences. I think the step up in trip will suit him well and we’re going back to the scene of the crime, having won the extended two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdle there last year. Nice ground would be a positive for him.”

Harry’s Legacy

BoyleSports Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Hurdle, 2m 175 yd (Saturday)

“He was a bit disappointing the last day at Cork but there were a couple of reasons for it. He has the experience and going back for a maiden hurdle with that should help a lot. He definitely deserves to win his maiden hurdle and he’ll be a competitive chance.”

Hurricane Helen

Caulfield Industrial Handicap, 1m 123yd (Tuesday)

“She hasn’t run for us yet, having come from Chris Timmons’ yard. Chris did a great job with her and won four times with her. She’s rated 70 so qualifies for this race and the owners are keen to go to Galway. She travels well and we’ll roll the dice.”

Mags Nelson

Tote Money-Back 2nd Every Race Handicap Hurdle, 2m 6f (Wednesday)

“A handicap hurdle winner two starts ago at Tramore. He’s owned by a great bunch of lads from Cork in the Rathmoy Syndicate and they’ll be absolutely bursting to get into Galway with him if they can! I think he enjoys a trip and the two-mile-six-furlong handicap hurdle around there on Wednesday should suit.”

Pearl Of Australia

Guinness 0.0 Handicap, 1m 4f (Thursday)

“He’s got experience around the track and wants a trip. This will be his first start since joining us [from Chris Timmons] and the owners want to have a go with him down at Galway.”

Prove Yourself

Iggy Daly Easyfix Handicap Hurdle, 2m 130yd (Monday)

“It’s possible that this horse is a little light on experience for heading into a competitive handicap hurdle like we are with him but he’s been running well and we’ll let him take his chance. He won a maiden hurdle at Tramore in April and then ran a nice race to finish third on his most recent start over hurdles at Kilbeggan. We gave him a run on the flat in a mile-and-a-half maiden at Roscommon earlier this month and he ran a nice race in third. His owners in the Sarsfields Racing Syndicate and really looking forward to heading to Galway again.”

Quar Shamar

Rockshore Refreshingly Irish Handicap, 1m 98yd (Thursday)

“He finished sixth at the Curragh on his first start since coming to us [from Emmet Mullins]. I thought he ran okay there. His owners in the Downtown Syndicate love having runners at Galway and that’s why we’re aiming him here. Hopefully he handles the track on his first run there.”

Rainbow Connection

Salthill Hotel Irish EBF Mares Bumper,

2m (Saturday)

“She’s had four runs in point-to-points and was bought for the owners to have a runner in a mares’ bumper next week. She’s going the right way. We’ll start her off here and see how she is.”

Strong Link

Guinness Novice Hurdle, 2m 4f 156yd (Thursday)

“He’s an up-and-coming horse, which is nice to have. He had good winter form, got a break and then won his bumper and maiden hurdle impressively. I suppose you’re just hoping that he can make the next step. We won this novice hurdle with Donnie Devito last year and if it’s a similar type of race this time around, you’d hope he’ll be competitive but you don’t know what you’ll meet until the day. He’s a lovely horse. We’re mad about him. For us, it’s great to have him and we’re really looking forward to him.”

Talk In The Park

Guinness Beginners Chase, 2m 6f 111yd (Friday)

“Unfortunately with the way it’s worked out, we’ve got to run Talk In The Park and Donnie Devito against each other. We ran out of time to get this horse into the Galway Blazers but the race should suit him in terms of the trip. He liked Galway last year when winning a handicap hurdle down there.

He’s been getting there over fences. He had been a bit of a slow burner as a chaser and needed more of a knack to it, but I’ve been much happier with his last two runs – particularly his jumping last time [when fourth at Tipperary in a beginners’ chase]. The difference between the two horses we have for this race is that Donnie Devito would like really good ground and Talk In The Park prefers a dig in it.”

Targa Flavio

Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle,

2m 160yd (Sunday)

“He finished second at Listowel and fourth at Punchestown on his last two starts back in the autumn. This is his first run back after a break and whether he’ll get into this race, I’m not sure, but I think he’s a grand horse.”

Volantis, ridden by Warren Shanahan, is chasing back-to-back wins in the BoyleSports Galway Tribes Handicap Hurdle \ Morgan Treacy

Volantis

BoyleSports Galway Tribes Handicap Hurdle,

2m 175yd (Saturday)

“He isn’t the simplest to train and might be a bit of a one-trick pony in that it possibly only happens for him once a year. He takes a lot of minding. The plan is that we’re going back for the same race that he won at Galway last summer, and he had a run on the flat in the same race he ran in before the festival at Roscommon last year. He ran okay [in 10th]. I think he had a lot of luck last year and everything came right for him, having been unlucky the year before. Everything has to fall right for him – he can be keen and needs to relax, yet you need to get a clear run on him. He’s not a bad horse, though. Last year, he got the gap and landed on the line in front. It was unbelievable to watch.”