MICHAEL HALFORD
MASSIF CENTRAL
4yo b g (4421-339)
Colm Quinn BMW Mile (Tuesday)
The ground may just have been a bit too fast for him on his previous run at Leopardstown but they have watered well in Galway and it is a very big pot that is worth going for.
He might have had his stamina stretched over a mile and a quarter the last day as well and I think the stiff mile will suit him better. He seems to be in very good form and you need pace to have a chance in any race down there and he has that, so hopefully he’ll get a low draw and if he gets that, he should run a very big race. This race fits in nicely and even though he has a high rating, he has 9st 7lbs on his back and that is a big help.
SALTONSTALL
4yo ch g (216/9-2310)
Colm Quinn BMW Mile (Tuesday)
The ground was just a bit too fast for him at Ascot. He is a classy horse and he is likely to get his ground. He is a lightly-raced horse that we’ve always liked and he won what looked a competitive handicap well at the Curragh and was second in the Lincoln. He has come out of Ascot in very good form and his work has been good. Like Massif Central, he is not short of pace and I think the stiff mile down there will suit him.
Petticoat goes for the Group 3 Corrib Stakes on Thursday Photo: Healy Racing
PETTICOAT
4yo b f (1437-610)
Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes (Thursday)
She got herself very upset in the stalls and lost a shoe the last day in Killarney and you can put a line through that run.
We have done a bit of work with her in the stalls and she appears to be in very good form.
She won a competitive handicap very nicely the time before that at the Curragh. We’ve always felt that she was a stakes filly and it is important that we win a listed/group race with her.
She has plenty of pace as you need that no matter what trip they run over at Galway and assuming she handles the preliminaries okay, she should run a very good race.
NOEL MEADE
BEL AMI DE SIVOLA
7yo b g (5342813-3)
Thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He is a good way down the list so I hope he gets in. We’ll have to see if he will get the trip but he has won over two and a half miles over hurdles. He came out of his previous run at Killarney well and I think he’ll appreciate the good ground. He does jump well and he is a pacey type of horse which is what you need around Galway. I think he’ll be a very good representative for us.
SNOW FALCON
8yo b g (8/2315UP-)
Thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
We brought him back in early to have a crack at this race and he looks great. He is a smart horse and hopefully the top weight will run, as he has a nice weight on his back at the moment. It might also keep a few of those at the bottom out.
I’d imagine that he’d probably be the pick of my three that I hope to run. He is a decent horse and he has been running well in Grade 1 races all winter. He runs well fresh, he is in great shape and we are looking forward to running him.
ROAD TO RICHES
11yo b g (85/090P6-)
Thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He hasn’t run since finishing sixth in the Grand National but he is in great form.
We kept him fresh and he has put on weight which has always been a problem for him for the last couple of years.
He has obviously won the race before and his mark has fallen right down (140). He lost his way a bit in in the last two seasons, but I’ve been very happy with him recently and he has a lovely weight on his back.
JOEY SASA
9yo bb g (207/4128-1)
Connacht Hotel Handicap & Guinness Galway Hurdle
We’re strongly considering letting him run in the big amateur race on Monday and then bringing him out again for the Galway Hurdle. He likes Galway – he won his bumper at the track and he ran well when he finished fourth in the Hurdle last year.
He won well the last day at Tipperary and he picked up a 4lb penalty for that, which won’t help his chances in the Hurdle. In saying that he won nearly €40,000 that day, so he has that in the kitty.
He jumps well and you can ride him prominently which is a help in a race where there can be traffic problems. Good ground will suit him fine and we’re looking forward to running him.
JESSICA HARRINGTON
NEVERUSHACON
7yo b g (NH: 6482-11, F: 335-50)
He is in both the Plate and the Hurdle and we’ll see what the Hurdle looks like a bit closer to the time. He has been in great form all season and he loves good ground. He will get into the Plate and if he went there, I’m sure that he would run a very good race, but he only has 9st 7lbs in the Hurdle and we’ll just have to see how both races are shaping up closer to the time.
Woodland Opera, Rock The World and Don’t Touch It will all go for the Plate and they are all in very good form. Rock The World and Don’t Touch It ran well at Killarney and they have come out of there in very good form. They all like good ground.
A Sizing Network is in the Plate too, but he needs a good few to come out get into the race. He has a lightweight and he jumps and travels and he likes good ground too.
Sandymount Duke will go for the conditions chase on Sunday.
We had thought about the Plate for him, but he’d have a lot of weight in that, so he’ll go for that race instead and I was thrilled with how he ran the other day at The Curragh.
MARSHALL JENNINGS
6yo b g (868502-16)
Colm Quinn BMW Mile (Tuesday)
I think the stiff mile at Galway will suit him. He looks great and he is in very good form. You need a low draw down there and for a horse rated 101, he gets in (if Riven Light runs) with 9st 8lbs on his back.
He won a good race at Naas two starts ago and he was second down there two years ago. I’ve been very happy with him.
THOMAS MULLINS
Top Othe Ra is a Galway specialist and the Galway Hurdle has been the plan for him all year Photo: Healy Racing
TOP OTHE RA
10yo ch g (6110850-)
Guinness Galway Hurdle (Thursday)
He has been in very good form and I have had this race in mind for him for a while. He loves Galway and ground doesn’t appear to be an issue for him. We’ll just have to see if he’ll get in first and he has a light weight (9st 12bs) which is lovely. If David is not claimed by Willie, he’ll ride him. If not, I’ll probably claim off him. He looks great and the fact that he operates so well around Galway is a big plus. He won down there last year and we’ve had this race in mind for him all year. I just hope that he makes the cut and if he does, I can see him running a big race.
OSCAR KNIGHT
9yo b g (U/0102B3-)
Thetote.com Galway Plate (Wednesday)
He’ll go for the Plate. We think he is in good form, but whenever he gets into a good race, something unfortunate seems to happen to him. He is not slow and I think the good gallop they usually go in the Plate will suit him. He is in super form, he looks great and I’m looking forward to running him.
DENIS HOGAN
MACGILONEY
5yo b g (3/443-1321)
He goes for the maiden hurdle on Tuesday and I’d say he is my best chance of the week. He has won his bumper and his winners bumper. He also has very solid placed form over hurdles and that experience will be a huge help to him down there. He likes a bit of good ground and he has bumped into a few smart ones over hurdles to date. He travels well through his races, which is important at Galway and we’d be hopeful of a big run.
EIRI NA CASCA
9yo b g (872-4025)
He’ll go for the Galway Blazers on Friday. He has won at Galway before and he likes good ground as well. I’ve had this race in mind for him for a while and he seems to be in very good form. We’ll see a bit closer to the time as to what the race is looking like, but he should run well.
GALTYMORE
4yo b g (28F42-)
GOLDEN POET
6yo b g (0255-815)
They are two solid horses and they will both go the Easyfix Handicap Hurdle on Monday. Golden Poet isn’t with us that long and he looks a nice horse and I think he’ll handle Galway. Galtymore has plenty of jumping experience and he strikes me as a horse that will wing around there. It will be an open race, but with a bit of luck in running, they should run well.
HUGO ‘N TAZ
7yo b g (34332-214)
I took him out of Ballinrobe the other night as the ground was a shade too quick for him and he will go for a beginners chase or a three-mile handicap hurdle. He doesn’t have a lot of miles on the clock and I’ve been very happy with him.
He has won around Ballinrobe and handled Sligo well the last day so he should be fine around Galway. We’ll see what the races look like and we’ll decide a bit closer to the time.
TURBINE
5yo b g (-6322454)
He ran well at Naas on Wednesday and he is in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile on Tuesday, but I’d say he won’t get into that, so he’ll go for the good mile handicap on Thursday. He was fourth in the Colm Quinn last season and he has held his form well this season.
You’d like to run him again on the Tuesday, but he’ll be very iffy to make the cut for that, so we’ll concentrate on getting him ready for Thursday and I’d say he’ll like the nice ground that they should get down there.
PETER FAHEY
PEREGRINE RUN
8yo b g (/21131U-)
Thetote.com Galway Plate (Thursday)
He had a lovely run the last day on the flat. He was a bit slow out of the stalls, but he came home well behind Wicklow Brave.
He was third in a good chase at the festival last season and we’ve had the Plate in mind for him since.
My horses are coming back into form and I’m very happy with them. He seems to be in very good form and he gets in off a nice weight. It won’t be easy, but he’ll take his chance and hopefully he’ll run well. He’ll appreciate a bit of nice ground.
SEREFELI
6yo b g (2177-454)
He won down there last and the plan is to go back and try and win the same race again this year. He is owned by a great bunch of lads and a lot of them are from Galway. He has run well on his three starts this season and hopefully he’ll be spot on going there. They got a great kick out of last year, so hopefully he’ll get into the shake up again.
HOUSE CALL
3yo b f (02-33274)
We bought her a few weeks ago and she will have a few entries. She might go for a fillies maiden or the amateur maiden on Thursday.
She has a mark of 73 and she will also get an entry for a handicap as well. We like her and she has some nice form, so you’d like to think that she could run well down there.
MINE NOW
10yo b g (22810-833)
He has picked up a nice bit of experience over fences and he’ll go for a beginners or a conditions chase later in the week. He has been a great servant and he was only touched off in the good handicap hurdle on the Saturday last year. He is in very good form an he’ll run well in whichever race he turns up in.
STEVE MAHON
BALBIR DU MATHAN
9yo b g (/123210-6)
We gave him a break after Punchestown and the plan has been to have him back for Galway. He’ll go for one of the handicap chases but he won’t run unless they get a good drop of rain. He wants a good cut in the ground.
ROCKY COURT
9yo b g (36347-10)
He is in good shape and he might go for the handicap chase on the Friday. He has loads of experience around Galway and that is a big plus. There are other options for him next week and I think he’ll run well in whatever race he turns up in.
DORANS RIVER
8yo br g (121653-4)
He had a nice first run back after a good bit of time off at Roscommon a few weeks ago and I’d say he’ll go for the good handicap hurdle on Saturday. He seems to handle any ground and I am looking forward to running him there.
CARRIG CATHAL
7yo b g (0P100-02)
He won a nice pot for us at Ballinrobe earlier in the year. He disappointed us after that at Punchestown, but he ran well in a conditions hurdle at Bellewstown a few weeks ago and that run has put him back on track. He has a few options and we’re hopeful he’ll run well whenever he goes.
ARANHILL CHIEF
11yo b g (/24064-00)
He loves Galway and he’ll go back for the Galway Blazers, a race he has won before and finished second in. He has improved for his two runs this season and hopefully he’ll have a good chance in that race again for us next week.