Ahead Of The Posse

(Gavin Cromwell)

Galway, July 31st

There was always a chance that a move to two miles might just be too tight for Ahead Of The Posse on Monday evening but, as it transpired, it took an in-form and probably well handicapped horse in Neveradullmoment to beat him. Gavin Cromwell’s gelding just got tapped for toe at a crucial stage but he did some fine work up the hill, closing the gap on the leader without really looking like he was going to win. With a strong pace, he can win at two miles, but might be seen to better effect back at two and a half. (RG)

Sea The Polaris

(Paddy Twomey)

Galway, July 31st

A maiden win shouldn’t be far away for the Paddy Twomey-trained Sea The Polaris after a fine effort when finishing second on debut behind quality sort Mythology on day one of the Galway Festival. Things didn’t unfold entirely smoothly for the Sea The Stars colt, who was bought for 185,000gns from Mocklershill at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. He was short of room at a crucial stage when the more experienced winner got into the clear. Mohammed Al Suboosi’s colt emerged from the run with a great deal of credit, though, and clearly has a decent level of ability. (MB)

Quantum Light

(Andy Slattery)

Galway, July 31st

There should be a race or two to be won with Andy Slattery’s new recruit Quantum Light, who posted a smashing effort when runner-up in a competitive three-year-old handicap over seven furlongs on day one. Tried in a hood for the first time and racing on by far the most testing ground she had ever encountered, the 24,000gns buy out of Ralph Beckett’s yard was up in the teeth of a strong pace but only got ran out of it late on by the more patiently ridden Rio Largo. A 1lb rise shouldn’t stop her from winning a similar event at the same trip. (MB)

Topgun Simmy

(John ‘Shark’ Hanlon)

Galway, July 31st

There was no luck for the Shark Hanlon team and Hewick in the Galway Plate but they surely would have taken plenty of positives from the run of Topgun Simmy in the concluding bumper on Monday. Patrick Mullins excelled on the winner, My Great Mate, and Hanlon’s third-placed youngster raced more so to the inner away from his primary rivals. To his credit, the four-year-old by Doyen didn’t lie down when tackled and is good enough to win a bumper against his own age group over the coming months. (MB)

Nelda

(Jessica Harrington)

Galway, August 1st

Jessica Harrington has had a decent week so far in Ballybrit but she may have been a tad unlucky not to add to her haul with Nelda in the seven-furlong maiden on Tuesday. The leaders slightly got away from the Vimal Khosla-owned filly and she thundered home to only miss out by a neck from Livio Milo, shaping as though she should be well able to pick up a maiden win before long. A well-bred filly by Dark Angel, she should be up to staying a mile on this evidence too. (MB)

Hollow Games

(Gordon Elliott)

Galway, August 2nd

Hollow Games’ chance was seriously compromised by the multitude of false starts in the Galway Plate. Surely connections would have been keen to be race right up with the pace but the Gordon Elliott-trained second-season chaser got squeezed out badly when the tapes finally went up. Sam Ewing looked keen to get him back into a prominent position but he didn’t have the pace to do so and ended up being encouraged along for much of the journey. In the circumstances, it was a smashing effort from him to finish third behind a one-two who filled those positions jumping the first fence. He surely has a big handicap chase in him later this season - potentially something like the Leopardstown Handicap Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. (MB)

Vischio

(Dick Donohoe)

Galway, August 2nd

Vischio is almost certainly a well handicapped horse off a mark of 112 over hurdles. She had her form boost significantly before she ran on Wednesday when Last Ammo, whom she’d beaten comfortably on the flat previously to elevate her flat mark to 84, scored earlier on the card. She was held up in a race that looked steadily run and she had to do a lot of running to get into position to strike in the straight, with a slow jump at the second last not ideal. She couldn’t make up the ground in the end, but ran on well for fourth. It was a good run in the circumstances and in a faster run race or indeed going up in trip next time, she will be a big threat. (RG)

Malbay Madness

(Emmet Mullins)

Galway, August 2nd

Malbay Madness looked set to score in the opening extended mile contest on Wednesday only for Lan Cinnte to stick her head out and deny him at the line. Still, this was a step in the right direction of the Emmet Mullins-trained gelding and more in line with his stable debut when he was second to Canute at Navan over 10 furlongs. He was a little disappointing in the Ulster Derby but the extended mile and a half may have stretched him on that occasion. He was sourced by his shrewd connections off the back of a very noteworthy effort to finish third in a nursery at Listowel, and surely a trip back to the Kingdom will be on the cards now. (RG)

Razdan

(Chris Timmons)

Galway, August 3rd

Laughifuwant and Spanish Tenor dominated the extended mile handicap at Galway on Thursday, racing in second and first throughout, and so Razdan’s effort to make ground from the back of the field and finish fourth is noted. His effort to make ground up after a slow start deserves an upgrade. The Chris Timmons-trained gelding stayed on into fourth and notably the front six came well clear of the remainder. This was also his first start in 115 days, so he could well improve from it. A winner on heavy ground at the Curragh last season, he should have plenty of options. (RG)

What Path

(Willie Mullins)

Galway, August 3rd

What Path lost little in defeat when bumping into The Big Doyen, quite literally, in the Guinness Novice Hurdle at Galway on Saturday. The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old looks a big, staying chaser in the making and probably got outpaced by the winner off the bend, but Paul Townend had got him going after the last, and his halt in momentum was significant, not once but twice. He ran all the way to the line once in the clear but couldn’t get closer than a length, which was crucial in the stewards’ enquiry. Watch out for him over further and when he gets to jump a fence. (RG)