It’s all Systems go on Day One of a terrific Festival of racing
THE Galway Races are the highlight of the summer season and this is the week that everyone has been looking forward to since the Punchestown Festival finished.
There are seven days of magnificent racing in Ballybrit and it’s a meeting that every jockey, trainer and owner looks forward to.
It’s the only week of the year really where we have mixed cards, with flat and jumps racing on the same day and it’s a place that has been very lucky for me over the years.
The action kicks off with the Galmont Hotel & The Galway Bay Hotel Novice Hurdle at
4.50, a race won by Mystical Power last year, who landed Grade 1s at Aintree and Punchestown after finishing second to
Slade Steel in last season’s Supreme at Cheltenham.
The unknown quantity in the race is obviously Sysko for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend. We haven’t seen him on a track here, but he’s well bred and I’m sure Willie has targeted a good four-year-old for this race.
Of the horses that we know of, Pigeon House was a very good winner of a handicap hurdle at Punchestown when given a brilliant ride by Nico de Bonville.
Sysko could be hard to beat, but Pigeon House would be an alternative for me with Jack Kennedy on board this time around.
The Easyfix Handicap Hurdle at 5.20 looks like it has been the plan for Malbay Madness for a while.
The owners love having winners in Galway and you’d be a very brave man to bet against Emmet Mullins and the Mees around here, but an alternative each-way selection is Ian Donoghue’s Tankardstown Diva, with Jack Kennedy booked to ride.
There’s not a lot of form to go on for the Eventus Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden at 6 o’clock, but it’s hard to oppose Truth Be Told for Dermot Weld, who was an eye-catching fourth on his only start to date, which was only three weeks ago and I’d imagine Galway has been the target for this colt.
Dermot has an unbelievable record in this race and he could land another success in it this evening.
Enchanted Garden looks the one in the Clayton Hotel Galway Handicap at 6.40 for Tony Mullins and Seamie Heffernan after winning her last two races, while I would be very sweet on Alphonse Le Grande in the big race on day one, the Connacht Hotel (Q. R.) Handicap at 7.10.
He was a very impressive winner at Newcastle when partnered by Hollie Doyle, has big flat handicap experience and with that win coming just over four weeks ago, it’s perfect timing for him to follow up, although he does have to overcome a bad draw.
In the penultimate contest at 7.45, I’m siding with Himalayan Heights for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane, while Cause For Comment is a well-bred son of Cokoriko and looks the one to beat in the bumper for Willie and Patrick Mullins.