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Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Galway Races tips Wednesday: Robbie Power's selections for Galway Plate day
Down Memory Lane is fancied to give Gordon Elliott his fifth Galway Plate success this evening, which would put him one win in the race ahead of Dermot Weld. It's a good renewal, but I'm opposing the favourite, Nurburgring. I don't think his jumping is good enough to win a Galway Plate. He won a small runner novice chase the last day in Killarney and still made mistakes. I think his jumping will catch up with him. Amirite won the Midlands National at Kilbeggan earlier this month, he wears first-time blinkers, which could bring about improvement. But Down Memory Lane is very interesting for me. He was second on his penultimate start to Lecky Watson in a Grade 3 novice chase at Punchestown and drops into a handicap here. I think off a mark of 145, he could go very close for connections who know exactly how to win this race. And another one that looks to have a good chance is David Budds's runner Anyway. He had a very good run at the Cheltenham Festival when second to Caldwell Potter when 125/1. After having a confidence building win at Kilbeggan last month, he looks to have an each-way chance, but Down Memory Lane is my selection. The opening race, a maiden hurdle over 2m6f, at 5.05 sees Hipop De Loire go over the obstacles for the second time - and one year after he finished stablemate Jackfinbar. He's a 108 rated flat horse having finished fifth in the Ebor at York last August and should be very, very hard to beat for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend. Paul Townend and Willie Mullins (Image: PA) But if you want to go for one against him with a bit of experience, you could make a case for Son Of Anarchy, but it should be plain sailing for Hipop De Loire. A very competitive handicap hurdle comes next at 5.35 and you could make a case for a lot of the runners. I'm going to take a chance on one at a big price with Caesar Rock for Mouse Morris and Darragh O'Keeffe. He runs off a ten pound lower mark than his chase mark and was second over fences on his last start at Tipperary. Darragh is riding out of his skin at the moment so I'll take a chance with Caesar Rock. The Mares Handicap Hurdle at 6.05 is another competitive contest. Henry de Bromhead's runner Belle The Tigress looks to have a good each-way chance in her first run in a handicap. But Enfranchise is very interesting for Willie McCreery, with Danny Mullins booked to ride. She won a maiden hurdle at Galway two years ago so has course form and she might just be the one to side with here. The last three races are on the flat and Mont St Michel for Aidan O'Brien and Paddy Smullen had a good run in Killarney last time out when second and looks the one in the Download The Tote App (Q.R.) Maiden at 7.15. Meanwhile, Sujet catches the eye in the 1m½f at 7.40 for Dermot Weld and Chris Hayes. He was a good winner at the Curragh in his last start. And I like the look of two in the last race at 8.20. Happy Jacky just missed the cut for the big race here on Monday and comes here off top weight instead, which will be tough. The other one that is interesting is Miss Gitana right down the bottom for Gordon Elliott and Leigh Roche. She was a good winner on her second last start, was second the last day and could go close. Bet of the day - Down Memory Lane 6.40
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
The 10 golden rules of having a successful Galway Races
THE Galway Races is truly one of the most unique events on the Irish sporting calendar. 53 races over seven days it's a Mardi Gras or a 'sane madness' as once described and has been a fixture at the Ballybrit racetrack for 155 years. The €270,000 Tote Galway Plate and Guinness Galway Hurdle are the main events on Wednesday and Thursday and around 125,000 punters are expected through the gates. Many things have changed at Galway over the years, some for the better and some for the worse, but it remains a summer highlight and the quality of the racing has improved. I've been going to the Galway Races for over 25 years, and here's my ten golden rules of having an enjoyable and indeed profitable week, whether you're a paying customer or a stay at home punter. 1 - Follow the smaller trainers that target Galway. 2016 was a significant year at the Galway races as champion jumps handler Willie Mullins achieved the then unthinkable by wrestling the leading trainers' prize away from Dermot Weld for the first time in over 20 years. Since then Mullins has won the award every year but he doesn't win every race and there are many progressive yards who target this meeting and are worth following. Ross O'Sullivan left last year with four winners from his six horses across the Festival and he'll have a strong team again with recent Tipperary winner Strong Link likely to go for a race on Thursday. Other trainers with good recent records are Ado McGuinness, Emmet Mullins and Peter Fahey, who trained four winners at the meeting in 2022 and 2023. 2 - A wide draw in the flat races can be curtains Galway is a sharp track with a relatively short uphill home straight and some horses drawn wide can nearly be ruled out of a race before it even begins. A low draw is a massive positive for horses in the contests run over seven furlongs and a mile as it helps jockeys get a good early position at a track where being prominent is crucial. The statistics show that winning from a high draw is tough to achieve. In the day two feature, the Colm Quinn Mile, last year's winner Mexicali Rose was drawn in stall one while the Corrib Stakes winner over 7f came from stall 5. Horses can win by being drawn wide but you're at a disadvantage before the race begins. 3 - Huge priced winners have been common in recent years. There are, incredibly, over fifty races over the seven days at the Galway Races and they won't all be won by the fancied horses. Ladies Day punters went home stunned 12 months ago when Brave Crogha became the Festival's biggest priced winner ever when winning the Bumper at odds of 200-1. It ended a five-year drought for local trainer Iggy Madden and was the longest priced bumper winner in Ireland or the UK since records began. There were also two 50-1 winners. Sirius in the opening day feature and Bessie Abbot giving Wesley Joyce a welcome return to the venue where he almost lost his life. Racegoers attempt to shield themselves from the rain during The Galway Races Summer Festival (Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire) 4 - Horses for courses Galway's undulations and twists and turns aren't for every horse and keeping an eye on animals with course form is a shrewd route to success. Jesse Evans is a fascinating runner this week. Noel Meade's gelding has finished second twice in the Galway Hurdle and was fourth in 2021. He won a Beginners' Chase here last year and holds entries for both the Plate and Hurdle. The Emmet Mullins-trained Teed Up has incredibly appeared eight times at Galway — winning three times and finishing second three times too. He's entered in the Boylesports Handicap Hurdle on Saturday. Sylkie, trained by Danny Howard, has posted three career successes with all three coming at Ballybrit. One of those wins was at last year's Galway Festival, in an extended mile handicap, and Howard is hoping Sylkie can repeat the feat this year. 5 - Back the Mee-owned horses It's no secret that horses owned by Galway natives, Pearse and Annette Mee, always demand close inspection at Galway. Mee is a software engineer, whose fortune was estimated at €139 million by the Sunday Times Rich List in the past, and the couple adore Ballybrit like nowhere else. Their green and purple silks have been in the winners' enclosure dozens of times in the past decade for trainers like Emmet and Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead. As mentioned above Teed Up is a regular here while other Mee owned horses to watch for are Arctic Gale, Sea Music, Enfranchise and Toll Stone — who ran a very good race in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November. 6 - Pace your punting Having a bet in all 53 races is definitely not recommended and some races are best left alone for punting purposes, the 7f Handicaps in particular. Punters need to be disciplined and patient and not be afraid to change their mind due to changing ground conditions or stable form or the draw. JP McManus' pre-Cheltenham advice is worth another look. He said: 'I have a more considered approach now. I used to have my mind made up about things. That's dangerous. When you have your mind made up, it means you can't change your mind. These days I would delay making a decision until one has to be made. A view of the crowds during the races (Image: ©INPHO/Tom Maher) 7 - Back Willie Mullins' runners in the Amateur Handicap on Monday Willie Mullins has a special relationship with Galway, his uncle Luke was manager for many years and he rode plenty of winners there himself, including the Amateur Handicap 40 years ago on Pargan. In more recent times he's dominated the opening night feature, winning it five times since 2017, interestingly with four different jockeys. Not many could have predicted David Dundsdon winning at 50-1 last year but Too Bossy For us looks very interesting for Closutton this year. The 330,000gns purchase was second on the flat at the Curragh on Derby weekend and was a useful hurdler last term, making the frame behind Lulamba at Punchestown and running well in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham. 8 — Classy horses now win the Galway Plate The Galway Plate is no longer a race for good summer jumpers. The days of horses like Sir Frederick winning off a mark of just 126 appear to be long gone. A mammoth prize-fund of €270,000 has made the big boys send the heavy artillery and 2022 Plate hero Hewick went on to win a King George at Kempton Balko Des Flos went on to capture the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. Other recent winners like Carlingford Lough and Road To Riches went on to win big winter Grade 1 contests while 2016 Grand National winner Rule The World would have went very close in the 2015 Plate only for slipping up in the dip. Runners and riders during the 2023 Galway Hurdle (Image: ©INPHO/Tom Maher) 9 - Watch the the traffic It may seem obvious but Galway's weather patterns are increasingly unpredictable. It can go from summer sunshine to downpours in minutes and because the crowds are so big there's not much cover for punters who come unprepared. Bringing a brolly is the best tip anyone can get going to Ballybrit for the first time. Traffic in Galway is also horrendous, even outside race week. So leaving early should be part of everyone's plan. Even those that have spent months preparing their outfits. For those who can't afford a helicopter, the shuttle buses in and out of Eyre Square are a usually reliable service and much cheaper than a taxi. 10 - Go racing Monday or Tuesday night The Monday and Tuesday night at Galway are two of the most enjoyable race meetings of the year and well worth checking out for any first time visitor. They usually have a more gentle and relaxed atmosphere than the madness of Ladies Day or the Friday night and the crowd is usually a bit older. There is a bit more room in some of Galways's great pubs like Tigh Neachtain or Taaffe's apres racing and there's time for a nice lie-in the next morning too.
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Nurburgring and Masoun leading the charge for Joseph O'Brien
DOUBLE TARGET | Galway and Goodwood are on the agenda this week And now seven years after he won the Irish Derby with Latrobe, Joseph has charge of the likely favourite for next Wednesday's Tote Galway Plate in Nurburgring, who skipped home seven lengths clear in the Guinness Galway Hurdle last year. Back in the heady days when Dermot Weld was the undoubted King of Ballybrit, Ansar completed that great double in 2001 and 2004, and that great crowd favourite came back to win the Plate again in 2005. Yet whatever happens in that great carnival on the Western seaboard this week, Joseph's mind won't stray too far from the day job, as he also has serious business to attend to at Glorious Goodwood. Indeed hat-trick seeking Masoun catches the eye among the entries for the first race of the week at the famed West Sussex venue, the Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap on Tuesday. He was being teed up for a handicap at Royal Ascot but didn't make the cut, instead he won the Ladies Derby at The Curragh under Elizabeth Gale. But Joseph's best chance at Goodwood comes much later in the week, with Goodie Two Shoes in the Lillie Langtry on Saturday. Perhaps his background in the jumping game taught Joseph the benefit of patience, but there is little doubt that this JP McManus owned six-year-old is really in full flower now, her Stanerra Stakes win at Fairyhouse being a career best. She'll need to progress again but there's every chance she will, and the faster the ground the better. Joseph and J P also have a leading fancy for the opening day big feature at Galway tomorrow evening, the Connacht Hotel Qualified Riders, in Comfort Zone, where a real threat is Toll Stone who represents the lethal Galway combination of Emmet Mullins and owner Annette Mee. He won at the festival last year in his first flat handicap. That was on the Friday night and he was hammered in from 3/1 to 11/10 jolly when trying to defy a 7 lbs penalty for a quick follow-up the following day but he never landed a blow. Horses often win twice during the week at Ballybrit but very rarely on successive days. Toll Stone finished a close second to Comfort Zone in a hot handicap at Naas last November and he won't be too far away tomorrow either, particularly with John Gleeson doing the steering. But there is one entry in tomorrow's big race that really stands out. For so many of us backing Dermot Weld bankers on the flat with the late Pat Smullen on board, it used to comfortably cover the week's expenses back in the day. And should young 7 lbs claimer and son of the great man Paddy Smullen bring Falcon Eight home in front for Weld tomorrow, the cheers will lift the roof off the Killanin Stand. Trainer Joseph O'Brien at Ballybrit Racecourse in Galway. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile Any value in Nurburgring's price for the Plate is well gone at this stage, and Thecompanysergeant, Jesse Evans and two Gordon Elliott runners, Zanahiyr and Down Memory Lane, have also attracted plenty of ante-post interest. A local winner of the Plate would be a bit special and the Paul Gilligan trained Buddy One has serious prospects. A winner on the flat at nearby Ballinrobe last Monday, the eight-year-old has a serious CV, including a win at a Cheltenham November meeting and a fourth to Teahupoo in last year's Stayers Hurdle. He was second to Strong Leader in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree and was third to Croke Park and Better Days Ahead in the Racing Post Long Distance Chase at Leopardstown last Christmas. The Athenry runner is also well proven at Ballybrit, having won over hurdles, and he made a winning start over fences over this course and distance last October. He is generally 25/1 at present but strong local support on the day could see him start a lot shorter on Wednesday but, whatever the odds, only his best will do. Another interesting 25/1 shot is the Willie Mullins-trained Arctic Fly, who has blown hot and cold, both at this track and elsewhere. She has won two of her last four races, including Tipp last time out, but was pulled up in the other two. She is good enough to win if in the mood and things go her way. Whether the contours of Galway suit stablemate Spanish Harlem is open to question. He could be more interesting in the Kerry or Munster Nationals later in the year if getting decent ground. Previous Galway Festival form is a good guide, and a few quid on Gordon Elliott's Royal Eagle in the Latin Quarter Beginners Chase on Tuesday might pay for a few pints in Quay Street afterwards, though stablemate King Of Kingsfield would bring a touch of class if lining up also. Betting is a serious business this week, and, for all the closing time yards of plots and schemes hatched and horses being 'teed up' to win at Galway for exiles returning on holidays, I have found down the years that at Ballybrit – just like everywhere else – eye-catching recent form is the best short cut to the winners' enclosure. Here is a list of horses worth serious consideration – Blues Emperor (J Murtagh); Tribal Nation (J O'Brien); Davy Crockett, La Note Verte and Vicar Street (W Mullins); Slieve Binnian (D Marnane); Sign From Above (P Fahey); Facethepuckout (M O'Callaghan); Highbury See See, Faoladh (A Slattery); Sounds Like A Plan (A Oliver); Heiselectric (N Meade); Bal Kauto (D Queally); Cornmarket (J Cullen); Moonovercloon (M Smith); Kenisa Sport (G Elliott); Spanish Temptress (R O'Brien); Sunny South West (E Power); Chally Chute (Ross O'Sullivan; Mo Ghille Mar (J Harrington); Dunkerque (G Cromwell); Drumgill (J Ryan); Roderick (P Sweeney) and Far From Dandy (S Thorne).
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'I strongly fancy a Familiar 10-1 shot to score on day one of the Galway Races'
The opening night featured Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap is the amateur rider's big race of the week and has thrown up some great stories in the past. Incredibly, 61 years ago Dermot Weld won the race for the first time as a jockey on Tirconderoga while 50 years ago the Master of Rosewell house rode Spanner, a horse trained by himself, to a hat-trick of victories. Willie Mullins has also a proud record in the race and 40 years ago he tasted success as jockey on Pargan and has since won five times as a trainer. Decades later these pair of Irish horse racing legends are back and hunting more glory in the 2025 version, and it promises to be another exciting start to this seven-day Festival. 5.10 - Galway Bay Novice Hurdle 2m The Festival's opening race and a contest that has produced some smart Willie Mullins' trained winners like Easy Game and Mystical Power in recent years. Mullins' DAVY CROCKETT is a half-brother to the Grade 1 winning Mystical Power and is out of the Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power, who also won here at the Festival. He was well-backed on his debut in a bumper at Punchestown and won like a smart horse and could prove difficult to beat on his hurdling debut. Chortal brings plenty of experience while Mick Collins probably should have won at Bellewstown last time out and will be on the premises. TIP: DAVY CROCKETT Each-way: Mick Collins 5.40 - Iggy Daly Easyfix Handicap Hurdle 2m PAUL COLLINS is an ex-Robcour-owned and Gordon Elliott-trained gelding that's now in Brian McMahon's yard and he does look on a handy mark. He ran his best race for some time when second at Kilbeggan in April and was keeping better company than this when trained in Cullentra. It's a wide open race and another who could run into a place is Ross O'Sullivan's Prove Yourself, who won at Tramore and has since finished third at Roscommon and Kilnbeggan. TIP: PAUL COLLINS Each-way: Prove Yourself 6.10 - Eventus Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden 7f It's difficult to get away from the chances of CONSTITUTION RIVER for Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore in the week's first flat race. The son of Wootton Bassett was beaten only a short-head on his debut at Newmarket and given the way Ballydoyle juveniles usually improve for their first run, his chances look strong. Dermot Weld is not the force of old at Galway but he usually keeps some nice juveniles for the Festival and his Masaban is likely run well in the colours of the late Aga Khan. TIP: CONSTITUTION RIVER Each-way: Masaban 6.40 - Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap 2m The traditional opening night feature and race that Willie Mullins, who first won this as a jockey 40 years ago, has an enviable recent record with five wins since 2017. Mullins' smart juvenile hurdler Too Bossy For Us could start favourite with his son and champion amateur jump jockey Patrick booked to ride. His credentials are strong but our preference is for Mullins' old foe Gordon Elliott with a fascinating filly named FAMILIAR DREAMS. (Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire) Originally a very cheap 4,000 guineas purchase, Familiar Dreams won four bumpers for trainer Anthony McCann — including a Grade 3 prize at the Punchestown festival — before being sold for a hefty €310,000 price tag to Elliott and Qatar Racing. She won a strong flat race at Tramore last summer before embarking on a hurdles campaign that saw her run okay in two end of season Grade 1 races at Aintree and Punchestown. She's changed ownership again and looks primed for a big run with young Josh Williamson claiming 7lbs The Shunter is now a 12-year-old but the one-time Cheltenham Festival winner ran well here at this meeting last year and has another big run in him for Emmet Mullins and JP McManus. TIP: FAMILIAR DREAMS (nap) Each-way: The Shunter 7.15 - Clayton Hotel Galway Handicap 7f Joseph O'Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle are in serious form and both trainer and jockey are operating off a strike rate better than 20 percent at the moment. They team up with HONEYSUCKLE ROSE here and from a good draw the filly should give a bold bid, having won a maiden and run well to finish third on her handicap debut at Gowran Park last month. Gangsta Man is given an each-way shout for Wesley Joyce and Kevin Smith having won at Roscommon and losing his chance at the Curragh next time out when stumbling out of the stalls. TIP: HONEYSUCKLE ROSE Each-way: Gangsta Man 7.50 - Grá Chocolates Handicap 1m4f Aidan O'Brien's horses in a handicap are always worth consideration and although PROPOSE has top weight to shoulder here, he does bring a level of form well above his rivals. The son of Frankel was considered good enough to go to Royal Ascot and previous to that disappointing run he won a maiden at the Curragh on Guineas weekend. A bit of ease in the ground will help and he'll have no issue with the 1m4 distance. Miss Nifty can run into a place for Sheila Lavery and Rory Cleary. A recent arrival from the UK, she ran well at Leopardstown last time out and the Meath woman's horses often go well at this Festival. TIP: PROPOSE Each-way: Miss Nifty 8.20 - Monami Construction Flat Race 2m A four-year-old bumper to finish this eclectic mix of racing where FAITH OF EMPIRES is a speculative choice with little or no form to go by. An usually Turkish bred gelding, he runs in the Mee family's colours and Emmet Mullins has booked top amateur rider Johnny Gleeson. TIP: FAITH OF EMPIRES Each-way: Maskarvel GALWAY DAY ONE SELECTIONS BRIAN FLANAGAN Davy Crockett Paul Collins Constitution River Familiar Dreams (nap) Honeysuckle Rose Propose Faith Of Empires
Powys County Times
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
All eyes on Purview in Leopardstown's Meld Stakes
Dermot Weld plans to take it 'one day at a time' with the exciting Purview, who gets the chance to live up to his reputation in the BoyleSports Meld Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday evening. The Juddmonte-owned son of Kingman won his only outing at two and briefly looked like giving subsequent Eclipse winner Delacroix a real race in the Leopardstown Derby Trial. Weld resisted the temptation to run him in a Classic thereafter, giving the imposing colt time to fill his frame, and he is now ready to get back to action. 'It's nice to have him for what is an excellent renewal of the race. You've got horses rated 115 and 113 in the race, so it's running at probably Group Two level rather than Group Three,' said Weld. 'You've two horses rated above him and he's a big horse that's developing all the time, that's why I waited with him, but I see him running a very nice race. 'He's grown, he's developing and he's a big horse, so I've just given him time to fill into his big frame.' On his big-race entries in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc, he added: 'Let's see how he gets on and take it one day at a time. Let's see how we do on Thursday and go forward.' Aidan O'Brien's Expanded, unplaced in both the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish equivalent, looks to get back on track while Joseph O'Brien's Galen, who beat Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel in April, sets the standard.
