Galway Plate team (Wednesday)

Fury Road has a lovely weight of 11st. This will be his first run in a handicap, having been running in Grade 1 company constantly, so this should be a nice drop in class for him. Andy Dufresne is being aimed here too, as is Hollow Games, who goes well fresh and seems in good form at home. I thought his last run when fourth in a big handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival was a good one and that might be a good stepping stone for him towards this. I’m hoping Gevrey should get in at the bottom. He’s put two great runs back to back when fourth in the Plate at Cheltenham and second in the Irish Grand National. The Goffer has got good form in big handicap chases and I’m looking forward to him here. He’s got a nice weight of 10st 5lb and ran well when fourth in the Bet365 Gold Cup last time. Hurricane Georgie has a lovely weight at the bottom and will probably take her chance. Tullybeg and Ash Tree Meadoware also getting a run. We have seven getting into the race and they’ll probably all run. I hope I’ve got a good team for the race.

Galway Hurdle team (Thursday)

Fils D’Oudairies has plenty of weight [11st 9lb] but we’ll let him have a crack at this after winning his last two starts. He’s in good form at home. It looks like Party Central should have a great chance. She won nicely last time on the flat at Bellewstown. Magic Tricks had his first start after some time off the last day and he’ll run here too. He has plenty of ability. Amir Kabir should sneak in at the bottom of the handicap and I’m hoping Glan might be able to as well. She’s been in good form over the summer over hurdles and on the flat.

Final Orders

The Plate is his target for the week. He’s in good shape and came out of his win on the flat at Bellewstown well. It was a grand pipe-opener for him.

Ilikedwayurthinkin

He has entries for the Plate and a listed handicap hurdle over just shy of two miles and seven furlongs on Saturday. He’s won there before and might run in the Plate if getting in.

Dutch Schultz

He ran well [when third to Echoes In Rain] in the Connacht Hotel Q.R. Handicap last year and has an entry for the same race again next week. He seems well so hopefully he’ll have a chance.

My Mate Mozzie

The Galway Hurdle is his target, though he’s also entered in the Guinness Handicap over a mile and a half on Friday as a plan B. He just never seemed to show up when down the field in the Hurdle last year and I’m not sure why, we couldn’t put our finger on it. I loved how he put distance between himself and the rest quickly when he won on the flat at Tramore earlier in the month.

Path D’Oroux

We’ve given him an entry for the Galway Hurdle but he could otherwise run in the consolation handicap hurdle on Friday. He’s another who has won at Galway before and I wouldn’t rule out either option for him.

Earls

He’s one for the Ahonoora Handicap next Sunday. He loves an ease in the ground and it looks like there’s some rain coming.

A Wave Of The Sea

He’s had a lovely preparation and I thought it was a nice run from him last time when fourth in the Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary. We haven’t made our minds up yet whether he’ll go for the Plate or the Hurdle, he’s got entries in both.

Prairie Dancer

He ran a great race when third in the Hurdle last year. He was third over fences last week at Killarney but we’ll probably let him go back to the Galway Hurdle again next Thursday.

Powerful Aggie

It was great she won in listed company two starts ago at Down Royal and she’ll be one for the Connacht Hotel Q.R. Handicap on Monday.

Magellan Strait

He didn’t run badly when third at Leopardstown the other day and we’re also aiming him at the Connacht Hotel Q.R. Handicap on day one.

Nurburgring

He won a maiden at Navan earlier in the season when there was a cut in the ground and the plan is for him to run in the Guinness Handicap over a mile and a half on Friday.

Hotrocket

He’s been in good shape lately, winning his last two at Gowran and Fairyhouse. The Ahonoora Handicap on the final day of the festival has been his target for a little while. Hopefully he can continue to go the right way.

Jesse Evans

I have to speak with his owner about finalising plans but I’d imagine he’ll go for the Galway Hurdle. He’ll have 11st 6lb to carry if Sharjah runs as top-weight. He ran a cracker in the race last year when second.

Joe Masseria

He runs in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile on Tuesday. He’s in good form and loves soft ground - it’s definitely a help for him.

Zoffman

We’re targeting the mile-and-a-half premier handicap with him on Friday. He ran well when second at the Curragh on his first run of the year and likes an ease in the ground.

Lieutenant Command

I’m glad to see he’s getting in at the bottom of the Galway Plate as that’s where we’ve been aiming him. The better the ground is, the better his chances.

Bugs Moran

We’re expecting to run him in the listed handicap hurdle [over just shy of two miles and seven furlongs] on the Saturday. He’s a nice horse who is in good form. He hasn’t run since April 2022.

Highland Charge

We’ll let him have a crack at the same listed handicap hurdle on the Saturday too. It was good to see him getting his head in front at Kilbeggan last time.

Black Hawk Eagle

It was a good run from him last week when second at Killarney and we’ll see if he can get into the Connacht Hotel Q.R. Handicap on Monday.

Sheishybrid

She could also head to the Connacht Hotel Handicap on day one after a couple of decent runs at the Curragh the last twice.

Soaring Monarch

He ran a lovely race earlier this month when winning at Roscommon over a mile and a quarter. He’ll probably go for the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap on Tuesday and has great form at the track, having a win and two seconds to his name from four visits to Galway. He’s in great form so hopefully he puts up a huge run for us.

Visionarian

We’re aiming him at the Plate. He had a lovely run in the Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary earlier in the month on ground that would have been plenty soft for him. If conditions don’t turn too slow for him, hopefully he’ll have a nice chance off a grand weight of 10st 7lb.

The Big Doyen

I was delighted to see him win well at Tipperary last time in a maiden hurdle and he goes for the novice hurdle over just shy of two miles and five furlongs on Thursday. Stepping up in trip and getting to dictate in front was in his favour last time and he’s a nice horse. I think this track should suit him well.

Sit Down Lucy

She won at the festival last year and we’re looking forward to getting her back there again next week. She had a great run when third in a handicap chase at Wexford last time. Having won her beginners’ chase around Galway last September, she might go for the Blazers Handicap Chase on Friday if getting in. Otherwise, she’ll probably go back for the handicap hurdle she won a year ago.

Enniskerry

We’re looking towards the Plate with him and he’s in great order. He was impressive on the flat at Leopardstown and that almost caught me by surprise because he’d never won a bumper. He didn’t settle before but, with a bit of age, he’s now matured into settling better and racing more professionally. He’s won at Galway before so we know the track won’t be a problem. He ticks a lot of boxes as a second-season chaser who isn’t overly exposed. His achilles heel is the ground. You can draw a line through his run in last season’s Drinmore Novice Chase because the ground came up bottomless. If the ground is nice, I think he’ll take all the beating. He won’t run if it’s soft.

De Lady In Red

She’ll take her chance in the mares’ handicap hurdle over an extended two miles on Wednesday. I think she’s in very good nick and this will be her first start since running well [finishing eighth of 22 runners] in the Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. I give her a lively chance.

Call The Tune

He’ll run on Sunday in the three-mile handicap hurdle. We gave him a prep run over fences at Kilbeggan last month and he has a nice mark over hurdles of 110 [7lb lower than over fences].

Hereditary Rule

It’s definitely a possibility that he could go for the Plate. The softer the ground, the more his chances won’t be helped but he’s entitled to have a crack at it and I think the owners are keen to go. The manner in which he won at the Punchestown Festival probably caught us by surprise, but he was approaching a nice mark and we felt he’d be competitive sooner rather than later.

Encanto Bruno

He may run in the novice hurdle over nearly two miles and five furlongs on Thursday. I’m very happy with him after winning on his hurdling debut at Bellewstown. He’s in great shape.

Brazil

He has an entry for the flat later in the week but I think he’ll run in the Galway Hurdle. He seems in fit, well and in good form.

One Cool Poet

He ran a nice race the other evening when second on the flat at Leopardstown. I think he’s in good nick and we’re hoping the ground doesn’t go too soft for him. He’ll have a few entries over the week but will probably run over hurdles on Monday first.