TRUE, Galway is almost as much about the ‘craic’ (definition withheld) as it is about the racing, and the two feature races are National Hunt races, and you know that the quality of flat racehorse that will be on show at Galway this week will not be up there with the quality that you will see on Irish Champions’ Weekend.

However, if you pay close attention, you also know that you will probably be watching at least a few stars of the future.

You know by now the horses who won at Galway in the past who went on to prove themselves to be top class: subsequent Irish Derby and Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Grey Swallow, subsequent Irish Oaks and Tattersalls Gold Cup and dual Pretty Polly winner Dance Design, subsequent Belmont Stakes winner Go And Go. But last year’s clutch of Galway flat horses could be the best yet.

Eziyra won the fillies’ maiden for Dermot Weld on the Tuesday evening, and she went on to win the Group 3 CL and MF Weld Park Stakes. She beat Hydrangea into second place at Galway, and Aidan O’Brien’s filly was beaten nostrils in the Debutante Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes later last year before winning the Group 3 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown this year and finishing third in both the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes.

Creggs Pipes won the Colm Quinn Mile on Tuesday evening last year, and Andy Slattery’s filly won the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes on Irish Guineas weekend this year.

Tony Martin’s horse Heartbreak City won a handicap hurdle on the Friday, then went to York and landed the Ebor on his next run.

He was beaten by the bounce of the ball in the Melbourne Cup – yes, the very race that stops a nation – on his next. Also on the Friday, this year’s Derby winner Wings Of Eagles made his racecourse debut in the seven-furlong maiden.

Tithonus won the seven-furlong handicap on the Saturday. Denis Hogan’s horse won three more handicaps last year, and has now also won his last two, the Rockingham and the Scurry.

He is rated 96 now, 33lb higher than he was rated when he landed that 0-75 handicap 12 months ago.

Of course, la pièce de résistance for the future was also on Saturday, the one-mile maiden, in which the 2/7 favourite Capri beat the 28/1 David Wachman-trained newcomer Rekindling by two and a half lengths.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Capri won the Beresford Stakes in September last year and is now, of course, an Irish Derby winner, while Rekindling won the Ballysax Stakes on his debut this season, his debut for Joseph O’Brien, and won the Group 2 Curragh Cup on his latest run.