GORDON ELLIOTT
CLARCAM
6yo b g F: (4/) NH: (/325483-5112)
thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He has a good bit of weight on his back, but on his day he is a good horse. We know that he likes nice ground and he is working away well at home. He has been a very good servant and he ran good race the last day over hurdles. He was placed around Ballinrobe as a young horse, so you’d hope that he’ll handle the track.
BRIGHT NEW DAWN
9yo br g NH: (-1337)
thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He has been in good form all season and we have kept him on the go as we know that he likes better ground. He has plenty of ability and I think a race like the Plate might suit him. His best form has been over a bit shorter, but I’d say he’ll get the trip and they always go a good gallop in the Plate and that is what he wants.
LORD SCOUNDREL
7yo b g NH: (/111223312-5)
thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He has been running well and his work at home has been good, so he’ll take his chance. It will be a big ask for him, but he ran well in what was a good handicap chase at Punchestown in the spring. He has won a novice chase around Galway so we know that he handles the place and that is a big plus.
SHADOW CATCHER
8yo ch g F(0-) NH: (/512267222133-5)
thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He has been a great servant and he rarely runs a bad race. Again, this will be a big ask for him but with Road To Riches lining up, he gets in with a nice weight on his back and that will be a big help to him. He seems to handle any ground bar very heavy.
KILLER CROW
7yo ch g NH: (/0460512270-0)
thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He’ll need a few to drop out to get in, but he is another that if he makes the cut, will get in with 10st on his back. He will be a bit ‘wrong’ at the weights, but he is capable of better than he has shown of late and he could run a nice race. Ground isn’t really an issue for him.
TIGER ROLL
6yo b g F: (2) NH: (/40-P114)
thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He has come good over fences and while he has yet to run in a handicap chase, he has jumped well in his few runs over fences. He’ll appreciate the trip and the good ground. He is not without a chance.
TEMPO MAC
6yo b g F: (/42) NH: (/3F1211816-106)
Guinness Galway Hurdle (Thursday)
He was a bit disappointing on his last few runs, but if he came back to the form that saw him win what looked a competitive handicap hurdle at Punchestown, he’d have an each-way chance. He likes good ground and if the top-weight runs, he’ll have a lovely weight of 10st 10lbs.
THE PLAN MAN
6yo b g F: (/7-) NH: (/U5275P02-0022)
Guinness Galway Hurdle (Thursday)
He has been chasing and has been running well, but on his day, he is a good handicap hurdler.
He was second to Clondaw Warrior in in a good race at Fairyhouse at Easter time and a repeat of that would give him a chance. He likes better ground, he has run well around Galway before, and he is another with an each-way chance.
DESOTO COUNTY
7yo gr g NH: (/134-722)
Guinness Galway Hurdle (Thursday)
He needs a few to drop out to make the cut, but I’d like to run him and he is another that will sneak in down the bottom with a light weight on his back.
SHARK HANLON
HIDDEN CYCLONE
11yo b g F: (1-1) NH: (/341U33-4)
Guinness Galway Hurdle/thetote.com Galway Plate (Thursday/Wednesday)
He has a few options down there. He has been in super form since he ran at Killarney and that race would have left him right for Galway.
He is an amazing horse. He is 11 now, but he is unbeaten on the flat and I am tempted to run him in the big amateur race on the Monday, but I have to speak with the Mee’s first.
They will decide what race he’ll go for.
For a horse of his age he has very few miles on the clock and we have minded him and not over-raced him. He goes there a fresh horse and rather than campaign him on the heavy ground during the winter we decided that after he was fourth in the Hurdle last year, that we’d have another go and at the minute, I’d say he is more likely to go for the Hurdle.
He was a bit deliberate at some of his hurdles last year, but he is jumping them better this year and the better the ground, the better it will be for him. He has a good few options and it’s possible that he could run twice, but I’d say it is more likely that his main target will be the Galway Hurdle.
GAVIN CROMWELL
ELUSIVE IVY
6yo b m F: (6) NH: (/625451241045-1)
She has a few options, but the plan is that she’ll run in one of the handicap hurdles. She is in super form and has had just the one run since she won what looked a competitive handicap hurdle at Punchestown. She looks great and we know that she handles any ground. Two and a half miles is probably her trip and her run on the flat at Leopardstown would have left her right for next week.
PLAIN TALKING
4yo b f F: (0072300-) NH: (3541-321)
She will have a few options. She could run on the flat and/or over hurdles – she might run twice. She is an improving mare that has been holding her form well. She won a maiden hurdle and then won what looked a competitive handicap at Roscommon. She has come out of her last race very well and I couldn’t be happier with her. She could have a nice mark on the flat so we’ll have a look at her options over the weekend before we decide, but she is working well and I think she’ll run well in whatever race she runs in.
GARETH POWER
LILLY THE LIONESS
9yo b m F: (/9-1) NH: (/41214820F64-711)
She has a number of options down there and could have as many as five entries. She could run twice – maybe once on the flat and again either over hurdles or fences. She is a tough mare that takes her racing well and she picked up blacktype the last day, so she is a valuable proposition. Even though she is nine, she is in great form and once the ground isn’t fast, it is fine for her.
She likes Galway and that is a big plus so we’ll decide a bit closer to the time as to what race she’ll go for.
BRIAN ELLISON
BARAWEEZ
6yo b g F: (/80405210-7667)
Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap (Tuesday)
He loves the place and he seems to be in good form. He ran a nice race the last day at York and this race has been the plan since he won in the big seven-furlong race last year. He seems to improve when he races around there.
I am not sure why, but he loves the place and we are taking 7lbs off his back this year as he is now racing off 103. He would ideally like a bit of nice ground, but he has won around there on soft ground as well, so the ground isn’t a huge concern. The plan is that he’ll run again in the seven furlong race on Sunday.
STIPULATE
7yo b g F: (/708-0)
Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap (Tuesday)
He is a very nice horse that came to us from France. He has only had the one run for us, which was disappointing, but we have had his wind operated on and that seems to have improved him. I have no idea if he’ll operate around there – we’ll know more about that on Tuesday, but he is in very good form and I think he’ll win a nice race for us this year.
TOP NOTCH TONTO
6yo ch g F: (/4001242393-6600)
Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap (Tuesday)
He has been a very good horse, but he has been a bit disappointing this year. I thought he’d run well the last day at York, but they crawled and that didn’t suit him. On his day he is a very good horse – he was Group 1 placed not that long ago.
He’ll take his chance and we’ll just have to see if he’ll handle the track.If he does, you’d have thought that he’d have a big chance.
DREAM WALKER
7yo gr g F: (-00211)
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap (Sunday)
He won well the other day at Ayr and he might run on Thursday, but if I thought he had a chance of making the cut for Sunday’s race, he might go straight there. He seems to have come out of Ayr in great form and he has won around Carlisle before so I’d be hopeful that he’ll handle the track. He likes an ease in the ground so any rain that falls would be a help to him.
EDDIE HARTY
MOON OVER GERMANY
5yo ch g NH: (/83123-65)
Guinness Galway Hurdle (Thursday)
He ran a very nice race at Tipperary and the four that finished in front of him had been on the go all summer so you’d have to happy with that. He has been in good form since, he has a nice weight on his back and it looks the obvious race to go for.
He wouldn’t want the ground too quick, but they rarely get fast ground down there. It should be okay and he goes there in good shape. The race at Tipperary would have brought him on and, assuming the top horses line up, he has a nice racing weight. He has yet to run in a handicap, but he has plenty of racing done and we are looking forward to it.
JOHN JOE WALSH
CLIFF HOUSE
6yo b g F: (/0-1) NH: (/082903-522)
Guinness Galway Hurdle (Thursday)
He was very unlucky last week at Killarney. He very nearly came down at the last and bar that mistake, he would have gone very close. I’d say he’d prefer the Easyfix hurdles at Galway and the way the race is shaping up, he’ll have around 10st 12lbs and that will be ideal for him as he has had to carry top-weight in a lot of his races.
I think Galway will suit him and they always do a great job on the ground down there. On his day, he is a very good horse, but this looks a top-class renewal. He goes there with his chance and to win a Galway Hurdle, you need a horse that gets two and half miles and he is as good over two as he is over two and a half. He has been fine since Killarney and I wouldn’t have thought that he’d improve for that, but if he had won, he’d more than likely have gotten a penalty. I have this race in mind for him for a while.
LADY GISELLE
6yo ch m F: (00666339-061)
Guinness Handicap (Friday)
We gave her a break after she won at Tipperary with a view to keeping fresh her for this race. She likes it around Galway; she very nearly won around there as a three-year-old only to get disqualified. She goes well on soft ground and gets a mile and a half well.
It will be good race, but she will get in there with a light weight on her back and I think she is capable of running a big race.
NOEL MEADE
ROAD TO RICHES
9yo b g NH: (/31232-F)
thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He took an horrendous fall at Punchestown and we all feared the worst. He was very sore for about a week or so after that, but he has been fine and we have had the physio work on him. He looks great and early on Michael and Eddie had it in their minds to have another crack at the race so we brought him back in six weeks after Punchestown. Looking back at when he won the race two years ago, the way things have panned out since, he was probably one of the good things of all time. He has a higher rating now and it won’t be easy. But we know that he likes it around there and we took him to Tipperary last Sunday to school after racing and that went fine. I am very happy with him and we know he is better on better ground. His preparation has gone very well.