We Plead The Fifth

(Noel Meade)

Galway, August 1st

For all that he did get a winner on the final day, it was a tough week at Ballybrit for Noel Meade, technically finishing second in the Hurdle and Plate, as well as hitting the crossbar with two other runner-ups and a close third. Outside of those placed runners, there was another hard-luck story for his newcomer We Plead The Fifth in last Friday’s auction maiden. The Inns Of Court colt was in the process of coming home strongly with the winner, Mighty Danu, until being stopped in his tracks badly in the closing stages. Ronan Whelan had to snatch up completely in order to avoid a nasty incident. It’s possible he could have finished second with a clear run. We Plead The Fifth is closely related to a winner over five and six furlongs who reached a mark of 90 in Britain, but this debut run was over seven furlongs on easy ground and he was seeing it out strongly. He can win a similar event before the season is out.

Adel

(Michael O’Callaghan)

Galway, August 2nd

Action, a three-parts brother to dual Derby star Lambourn, was too strong for his rivals in last Saturday’s mile maiden for two-year-olds, and this race worked out well 12 months ago. One who ran better than the bare result suggests this year was Michael O’Callaghan’s Adel, beaten nine and three quarter lengths in sixth but one whose encouraging effort wasn’t helped by some interference. This 42,000gns buy is bred to be decent as a half-brother to German-trained triple Group 3 winner Axana (and a half to Willie Mullins-trained Punchestown Festival winner Antey). He was ridden patiently here and had been making smart progress from behind when quickening up better than anything else in the race from three furlongs out to the final furlong pole, as per Coursetrack sectionals. Ronan Whelan reported his mount then showed some greenness and he took a precautionary check when things got tight down the rail, and his effort petered out. Perhaps he’ll end up a nursery prospect, but there was some potential in this run and Galway can be a great teacher for a young horse.

Bitofajokelike

(Eric McNamara)

Galway, August 3rd

Eric McNamara geared so many of his better types towards the Listowel Harvest Festival last year and that plan worked a treat when he emerged from the Kingdom with a fantastic five-timer across the week. It wouldn’t be a surprise whatsoever if his lightly raced stayer Bitofajokelike ended up being a proper player back at the same meeting after running with promise to finish third on the final card of the Galway Festival in the three-mile handicap hurdle won by Ballystone. The first two home got first run on him at Ballybrit; he came from a fair deal further back in the back and was faster through the final furlong than anything else in the race. He was also easy enough to back (SP 16/1 from a morning price of 7/1). He’s only a five-year-old and was having just his second start in a handicap, so you’d have to like the way he came home. The form of his previous third (beaten only a length) at Killarney was well advertised last week too when runner-up Winning Smut won Galway’s Saturday feature good style. The handicapper nudged Bitofajokelike up 1lb but he can still do better than his new mark of 116.