Timeform's Billy Nash has two against the field in Wednesday's Tote Galway Plate.
Irish racing tips: Wednesday July 30
1pt win Thecompanysergeant in 6.40 Galway at 13/2 (bet365)
1pt win Anyway in 6.40 Galway at 12/1 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
This may not be a vintage renewal of Galway Plate but it’s a competitive one and it’s easy to make a fairly compelling case for at least a dozen in here.
As I write Nurburgring is top of the market and it’s easy to see why. He's last year's Galway Hurdle winner, he ran a cracker in the novice handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival and got off the mark over fences at Killarney last time.
He’s got a very obvious chance, the step up to this sort of trip promises to suit and I can see why he’s heading the market.
Another of the leading fancies is Down Memory Lane for the Gordon Elliott yard. He’s potentially thrown in off a mark of 145 and looked a bit of a class act earlier in his career but was let down by his jumping over fences once or twice last year. The step up to this trip would suit but he lacks a bit of experience and I’d be happy enough to take him on.
Of the others course form is always a huge factor at Galway and Common Practice has run well at this track in the past and caught the eye in a valuable novice handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival. He’s run well on the Flat since and the step up to this trip should suit him. Blinkers on for the first time, I can certainly see him running well.
You have to make some sort of case for Jessie Evans who is a big enough price but has been in the frame in three Galway Hurdles and won a novice chase here last year. He's won his last two over hurdles and is on a fair mark on the pick of his form in that sphere.
Noel Meade won the race with Pinkerton last year and they take seven pounds off his back so he’s potentially overpriced.
Western Fold comes here off the back of winning the Mayo National, Amirite won the Midlands National at Ballinrobe. Both arrive here in good form but I have two against the field.
Derek O’Connor is aboard ANYWAY who is a horse with a bit of form at this track before and ran a cracker at the Cheltenham Festival when second to Caldwell Potter.
He finished in front of Nurburgring on that occasion and is actually three pounds better off with that rival on Wednesday. He comes here fit and in form and has a big chance.
I also really like the THECOMPANYSERGEANT who is Timeform top rated in the race. He actually won a beginners’ chase here last season when with Denis Hogan, has had three really good runs since joining the Gavin Cromwell yard and again ran a cracker when beating all bar the really progressive Jagwar in the Plate at Cheltenham.
He then finished fifth back over hurdles at the Punchestown Festival. He wasn’t seen to best effect there, this race has been the plan for a while and I think he has a lot in his favour,
He likes to come from off the gallop which isn’t always ideal at Galway but we know he handles the track and couldn’t be in better hands. They are my two against the field.
Preview posted at 1720 BST on 29/07/2025
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