SUPERB Story, winner of the Grade 3 Vincent O´Brien County Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, features among the 39 entries for the Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle on the fourth day of the Galway Festival on Thursday, July 28th.

Trained by Dan Skelton, the five-year-old has been allotted 11st 7lbs and is one of four British entries for the €300,000 event. He could be joined in the race by the Paul Nicholls-trained Moabit who is at the opposite end of the handicap and is set to carry 10st 3lbs, Peter Bowen’s Curious Carlos who would have 11st and Roman Flight, trained by David Dennis, who is currently on 10st 8lbs. The most recent British-trained winner of the Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle was Donald McCain’s Overturn, in 2010.

Numerically, Gordon Elliott, who has yet to win the race, leads the home challenge with 10 entries, headed by his Punchestown festival winner Tempo Mac on 10st 10lbs and The Plan Man with 10st 9lbs.

Willie Mullins won the Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle with Mystical City in 1996 and he has five entries, headed by Bamako Moriviere who is the early joint top-weight on 11st 10lbs. The champion trainer has also entered Max Dynamite (11st 3lbs) who was runner-up to the Tony Martin-trained Quick Jack in the race last year. Max Dynamite went on to win the Group 2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York and finished second in the 2015 Melbourne Cup at Flemington last November. Clondaw Warrior has been a winner on the Flat at the last two Galway Festivals and he would carry 11st 5lbs if taking up his entry.

Tony Martin won the race with the A.P. McCoy-ridden Thomas Edison in 2014 and followed up with Quick Jack and Denis O’Regan last year. The latter is the other joint top-weight on 11st 10lbs this time while Ted Veale (11st 7lbs) and Pyromaniac, on 10st 13lbs, could also represent the stable.

ROOKIE

Rookie trainer Joseph O'Brien has made two entries, both for owner J.P. McManus. Plinth, who has contested the last two renewals of the race for Joseph’s father Aidan, is set to carry 11st 1lb while Tigris River, a maiden hurdle winner at the Galway festival last year, is currently on 10st 11lbs.

Oh So Grumpy gave trainer Jessica Harrington a win in the race in 1994 and the Moone, County Kildare-based trainer could also be doubly represented this year with Modem and Rock The World, both on 10st 13lbs.

Dermot Weld has won the Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle on three previous occasions, with Spanner, Strathline and Ansar in 1975, 1985 and 2001 respectively and Silver Concorde (10st 10lbs), the Champion Bumper winner at Cheltenham in 2014, is his sole entry on this occasion. Edward O'Grady could be represented by Time For Mabel (10st 10lbs) who was a good winner at Killarney on Thursday. O’Grady won the race with the Jonjo O’Neill-ridden Hard Tarquin in 1979. Another Killarney winner, Hidden Cyclone, could represent trainer ‘Shark’ Hanlon. Fourth in the race last year, he has been allotted 10st 13lbs this time around.

Michael Maloney, General Manager of Galway Racecourse, said: “They don’t come much bigger than the Guinness Galway Hurdle and just like TheTote.com Galway Plate, the entries are out of the top drawer. To have a big Cheltenham Festival winner among the entries is a bonus and it will be intriguing to see how he gets on with the likes of Quick Jack, Clondaw Warrior, Max Dynamite and Silver Concorde in opposition.”

WEIGHT AND ENTRIES FOR THE GUINNESS GALWAY HURDLE

Bamako Moriviere (FR)(148) (WPMullins) - . ............. 11,10

Quick Jack (148) (AJMartin) - . ........... 11,10

Superb Story (145) (DSkelton (in GB)) - .......................... 11,07

Ted Veale (145) (AJMartin) - ............... 11,07

Clondaw Warrior (143) (WPMullins) - . 11,05

Thomas Hobson (GB)(143) (WPMullins) - . ............. 11,05

Max Dynamite (FR)(141) (WPMullins) - . ............. 11,03

Mckinley (GB)(141) (WPMullins) - . ... 11,03

Bentelimar (140) (JRBarry) - . ............. 11,02

Plinth (139) (JPO'Brien) - .................... 11,01

Cliff House (138) (JJWalsh) - . ............ 11,00

Curious Carlos (GB)(138) (PBowen (in GB)) - . ................... 11,00

Hidden Cyclone (137) (JJHanlon) - . .. 10,13

Modem (GB)(137) (MrsJHarrington) - 10,13

Pyromaniac (137) (AJMartin) - . .......... 10,13

Rock The World (137)(MrsJHarrington) - . ..... 10,13

Ancient Sands (135) (JEKiely) - . ....... 10,11

Moon Over Germany (135) (EPHarty) 10,11

Tigris River (135) (JPO'Brien) - . ......... 10,11

Silver Concorde (GB)(134) (DKWeld) - . ................ 10,10

Tempo Mac (134) (GElliott) - . ............. 10,10

Time For Mabel (FR)(134) (EJO'Grady) - . ............ 10,10

The Plan Man (133) (GElliott) - . .......... 10,09

Princely Conn (132) (TMullins) - . ....... 10,08

Roman Flight (132) (DDennis (inGB)) - .......................... 10,08

Desoto County (GB)(131) (GElliott) - 10,07

Desertmore Stream (130) (GElliott) - .. 10,06

Aminabad (FR)(128) (GElliott) - . ....... 10,04

Automated (GB)(128) (GElliott) - . ..... 10,04

The Nutcracker (128) (TGibney) - . ..... 10,04

Delegate (GB)(127) (GElliott) - . ......... 10,03

Moabit (GER)(133) (PNicholls (inGB)) - .......................... 10,03

Rashaan (133) (CKidd) - . .................... 10,03

Chatham House Rule (GB)(126) (GElliott) - . .................. 10,02

Grand Partner (126) (TMullins) - . ....... 10,02

Winter Lion (126) (MJSmith) - . ........... 10,02

Yes Sir Brian (125) (GJPower) - . ....... 10,01

Tocororo (128) (GElliott) - . .................. 9,12

Hostile Fire (120) (GElliott) - . .............. 9,10