THE Galway Plate dates back to 1869 when it was won by Absentee owned and trained by Richard Bell and its place in history and the minds of Irish people is secured forever. The 100th anniversary of the Galway Hurdle was in 2013, but it is ironic that the first winner Red Damsel was originally owned by Mr R. Bell and he also bred and rode the horse before she was sold to Baron De Tuyell. She hadn’t won a race before the Galway Hurdle and her best run had been a second in Kilbeggan. She won by a short-head for trainer Maxwell Arnott (who was 12 times leading trainer at the meeting).

In the early days the great Joe Canty rode four winners - Happy Moments (1917), King Michael (1921), Holy Fooks (1924), and Shrew King (1929) - for four different trainers. Frank Barbour, a Belfast linen magnate was a major figure in National Hunt Racing in the 1920s and associated with Gold Cup winners Easter Hero and Koko. He owned Elgon who won the hurdle race in 1916, his niece Miss M.D. Barbour owned the winner Alroi in 1925, and his daughter Miss E.L. Barbour owned 1926 winner Blancona (she was said to be the youngest owner in the world).The latter also won the Galway Plate in 1925.