SHARK

HANLON

HIDDEN CYCLONE

12yo b g (/341U33/42113513-2)

Stowaway - Hurricane Debbie

I didn’t put him in the Galway Hurdle this year. He was second in the race last year, but he owes us nothing and we said that we’d let him take his chance down there in something and we’ll make up our minds over the weekend and see what he’ll go for. For a horse that is 12 years of age, he is in some form and he behaves like a four-year-old at home.

He loves a bit of sun on his back and he really thrives at the time of year. There is a chance that he’ll go for the big amateur handicap (Connacht Hotel Handicap) on Monday and then possibly the big handicap hurdle on the Saturday.

It’s great to be going back there with him and we always said that when he stops showing that bit spark, we’ll stop with him, but his work is as good as ever and he’ll be competitive in whatever race he runs in. If he went for the big race on the Monday, you’d be hoping for a bit of luck with the draw. They got some rain in Galway last week and I just hope that the ground doesn’t go soft.

CAMLANN

6yo b g (/3136213212-13)

Cape Cross - Elle Galante

He won on the flat down there on the Sunday last year and the plan is that he’ll run over hurdles early in the week – probably on the Wednesday – and he’ll go for a flat race on the Saturday. He has improved a good bit over the last year and he doesn’t know how to run a bad race.

I thought he ran very well behind Swamp Fox in that good race last week at Killarney and I think Joe’s horse (Swamp Fox) will go close in the Galway Hurdle next week. My horse is in super form and we know that he loves it around Galway and that is always a plus.

You can be sure that he’ll run well down there and the ground doesn’t really matter that much to him.

SMADYNIUM

9yo gr g (103U112109P-P29F3)

Smadoun - Sea Music

He’ll go for a handicap hurdle on the Monday. He was placed over fences last week off a mark 127 and he is rated 102 over hurdles, so he’ll go for a handicap hurdle on the Monday.

He’s probably not as good over hurdles as he is over fences, but he was fine after Cartmel and it would be hard to say that he is well in over hurdles – he could be and I’d say that he’ll love Galway. He has been a good servant and this has been the plan for him for a while and I think he’ll run a big race.

PAUL

NICHOLLS

ZUBAYR

5yo b g (101/3F5062-5)

Authorized - Zaziyra

He was second, beaten a head, in the Scottish Champion Hurdle, he goes for the Galway Hurdle and it’s a race that I’ve yet to win. He is improving and it is a big prize and the plan is to go there with him.

He won the Adonis at Kempton as a four-year-old and he ran very well in France that year.

He was unlucky on his first run back this season at Wincanton, but he is a better horse in the spring/summer on better ground. After Ayr we said that we wouldn’t run him over hurdles again until Galway.

We ran him twice on the flat (he won one and was second in the other) and he wants a flat out end to end gallop which you always get in that race.

He also needs decent ground, which I hope he gets.

JESSICA

HARRINGTON

SANDYMOUNT DUKE

8yo b g (/42111153/321145-11)

Hernando - Joleah

He’s going for the Galway Plate and I couldn’t be happier with him.

He has bounced out his last race in great form. He just wouldn’t like soft ground, so I hope they don’t get too much rain between now and then.

He has plenty of weight on his back, but I can’t see him having to give away a lot of weight – there are a lot of good horses in the race so that should help to suppress the weights a fair bit.

I was a bit concerned that they might go a bit too fast for him down to the first fence, but we ran him on the at the other day, and he was very good over a mile and seven so with reasonable luck, if he bounces off good and quick, he has every chance.

He loves being up there and he stays very well. He’ll handle the track fine and the one thing that he doesn’t want is soft ground. It is a very competitive race and it’s great to be going there with a horse like.

There is a chance that his owner (Ronnie Wood) will be there and I’ll know a bit more about that at the weekend.

EVAN

WILLIAMS

JOHN CONSTABLE

6yo b g (/206/47600F-11)

Montjeu - Dance Parade

COURT MINSTREL

10yo b g (11246/245090-42)

(Court Cave - Theatral

They are both in the Galway Hurdle. We will keep an eye on the weather and how he (John Constable) comes out of the race and it is a very big prize to aim at. John Constable was very good at Haydock and at Market Rasen and we’ll keep chipping away with him. We’ll sit down and see how he is next weekend.

Galway could Court Minstrel as he loves those big field handicaps. I think the track will suit him as I think he has a lost a little bit of toe and the stiff finish there will be in his favour.

There is no doubting that, on his day, he is more than capable of being competitive in those big field handicaps. He ran very well the last day and he needed the run at Stratford, so that run would have put him spot on for Galway. It all depends where we are in the weights and I wouldn’t like to be going there having to give lumps of weight away – we need a horse at the top of the weights for him to run.

SHEILA

LAVERY

SEVENLEFT

4yo br g (711/430891-5047))

Manduro - Fleeting Affair

He is in the big handicap (the Ahonoora Handicap) on Sunday and if he got reasonable ground, he’ll go there. He doesn’t handle soft ground so the weather at the moment is a worry. He is in very good form and on his day, he is a very capable horse, but he needs decent ground to be seen at his best.

Next Sunday is a good bit away and there is plenty of time for the ground to dry out and if that happened, he’ll definitely go there and his homework has been very good. He’ll need luck with the draw, but I think he’ll handle the track - he seems to be better horse going around a bend.

SECRET WIZARD

4yo ch g (3710022-964121)

Sakhee’s Secret - Truly Magic

He will go for the mile race (the Colm Quinn BMW Mile) on Tuesday and he should make the cut. He is in good form and he has come out of his win in Killarney really well. If the ground came up really soft, I am not sure if he’ll handle that. He has won around Galway before and he ticks a lot of boxes and he loves those turning tracks.

He likes an ease in the ground, but he has also won on quick ground as well this year. He has improved with every run, and he may not have stooped improving yet – I hope he hasn’t and he goes into the race on Tuesday in very good form. He is taking his races very well and mentally he is maturing all the time.

QUIZICAL

2yo b c (9)

Roderic O’Connor - Twenty Questions

He will go for the two-year-old maiden (Claregalwayhotel.ie Maiden) on Monday. I was pleased with his first run at the Curragh and he has come out of that race fine and I’ve been very pleased with him since.

He looks well and for a two-year-old, it is great that they have had a run under their belts going there. He was very inexperienced when he ran at the Curragh, but he finished out his race well. We’ll see what turns up. It looks a strong race on paper, but I think my horse should run a nice race.

TRUFFLES

4yo b f (/632169-600)

Canford Cliffs - Parlour

She is in the big race on Tuesday (the Colm Quinn BMW Mile), but I might just keep her for the listed fillies race (Corrib Fillies Stakes) on the Thursday.

I’d say she won’t make the cut on Tuesday and she has the option of going for the valuable handicap on the Sunday and there is every chance that she could run twice down there.

She loves soft ground, I’d love to try to get some blacktype for her and she has plenty of options. She is very much at home on soft ground and we have horses that will like good and others that want soft ground.

EMPRESS LYLA

3yo b f (59902-1423)

Holy Roman Emperor - Hi Lyla

She loves soft ground and she goes for the three-year-old handicap on Monday (Claytonhotelgalway.ie Handicap). She has been a bit unlucky a few times this year, but she has been running consistently well and I think Galway will suit her. She is very well and I think seven or mile will be fine for her.

MAGNETIC NORTH

2yo ch g (0)

Born To Sea - No Trimmings

He might be worth keeping an eye on in the two-year-old auction maiden on Friday. He wants a trip but I am not sure if he wants soft ground. He was very green for his first run, but he has come out of that very well and he should come on a good bit for the experience. He is working well and I’d expect him to run a nice race next week.

GORDON

ELLIOTT

LORD SCOUNDREL

8yo b g (/111223312/51F230-)

Presenting - Noble Choice

He gave us a great day down there last year, when he won the Plate and the plan is that he’ll go back and have another go again this year.

He has a lot of weight on his back and is a few pounds higher this year (he won it last year off 145 now rated 156), but he looks great and his work at home has been good.

It will be a big ask for him to win it again, but as I said, he is in very good form and after he won the race last year, we said that we’d go back and try and win it again. Horses that run well at Galway tend to go back and run well again the following year, so we’ll give it a go and see what happens.

A TOI PHIL

7yo b g (117/P116515124-)

Day Flight - Lucidrile

He will also run and after he ran at Punchestown at the festival, we said that we’d put him by for this and his prep has gone well. He has a nice weight on his back and he has some good form from last season and he looks great and his work at home has been very good.

If he gets a bit of luck around there, I’d expect a big run from him.

He won a Leopardstown Chase over the same trip earlier this year and he seems to handle any ground, so we are looking forward to running him.

SHADOW CATCHER

9yo ch g (/56P550UPP248-25)

Haafhd - Unchain My Heart

He ran well in the Plate last year and if he makes the cut, he’ll take his chance, but it will be tight.

I’d say at the minute that he won’t make the cut and we’ll see what else is down there for him. He has been a great servant, he owes us nothing and he’ll run well in whatever race he runs in.

AUTOMATED

6yo b g (3132/80345105-)

Authorized - Red Blooded Woman

I’ll run three in the Galway Hurdle. Automated will more than likely run in the big amateur handicap on Monday first and also take his chance in the Hurdle on Thursday. He has some good form on the flat and he won well the last day at Leopardstown.

He seems to handle any ground and I think he’ll love the hustle and bustle of a Galway Hurdle.

He won a good race for us over hurdles at Navan last year on soft ground and I have been very happy with him. As matters stand, the plan is to run him twice next week.

THE GAME CHANGER

8yo b g (42/2234324P0PPP-)

Arcadio - Gilt Ridden

He will take his chance in the Galway Hurdle.

He has had a few wind operations and his form has taken a turn for the worst, but he ran well in the race a few years ago and his work at home has been good. If those little wind ops have helped, he might be capable of a surprise. The better the ground the better for him.

TIMIYAN

6yo b g (7/139-11)

Ghostzapper - Timarwa

He has done well for us and I’ve been very happy with the horse. The one thing that I would say is that he likes good ground, so I wouldn’t like the ground to get soft for him. He has worked his way into the race by winning his last two and he has come out of them in good shape.

We’ll keep an eye on the weather – Thursday is a good bit away yet.

HENRY

DE BROMHEAD

BALKO DES FLOS

6yo ch g (/10154/72133F3-)

Balko - Royale Marie

He ran some good races during the winter and was still in front when he fell at the fourth last in the JLT Chase at Cheltenham.

At Punchestown he ran third in a novice handicap, so he has plenty of jumping experience. He’s in good form and definitely runs in the Plate.

ON FIDDLERS GREEN

7yo b g (/0456P4/412109-1)

Stowaway - Knockalane

He was good the last day at Roscommon. He seems in good form and has proven himself over the course and distance.

The biggest obstacle for him will be getting into the race [He is number 26 and only 22 will start] but if he does he has a good weight and should have a squeak.

A good few of our other entries [Devil’s Bride, Sadler’s Risk, Attribution, Marinero and Deans Road] will run but nothing has been fully decided yet.

ORNUA

6yo ch g (F136-11)

Mahler - Merry Heart

He jumps and travels very well. He has never run in a handicap before but he can go a good, even gallop and the Galway Hurdle has been the plan ever since he won at Clonmel in May. Brian O’Connell will keep the ride.