Donn McClean has two against the field for the tote Galway Plate including an interesting JP McManus runner.
They reckon that over 40,000 people went to Ballybrit for the first Galway Plate in 1869. That is about 240,000 fewer people than went to Ballybrit to see Pope John Paul II 110 years later – it can hold a crowd all right – but it is 39,000 more than there will be in attendance today.
These are the times through which we are navigating our way these days and, actually, there was atmosphere in Ballybrit over the last couple of days. It’s not the normal Galway buzz, but it’s something. Some people is a significant step up on no people.
The Tote Galway Plate field is full though, 22 declared runners and three subs, and a whole host of others who didn’t even make the panel. That’s what a weighty prize fund of €250,000 will do for you.
And weight is an issue in the Galway Plate. History tells you that no horse has carried 11 stone or more to victory in the race since the redoubtable Ansar won his second under the 11st 11lb in 2005. Dig a little deeper though, and there is hope for the highweights.
Only five horses carried 11st or more in the race in 2019, and two of them, Black Corton and Peregrine Run, reached the places. Only four carried 11st or more in 2018, and three of them finished in the first five. So there is still hope if your horse is number 11 or lower.
Emmet Mullins has never had a runner in the Galway Plate, but he had never had a runner in the Paddy Power Plate at Cheltenham either, before he sent The Shunter to Prestbury Park in March and came home with the prize. It may be that he is starting a plate collection.
The Stowaway gelding also bagged a £100,000 bonus for winning at Cheltenham, given that he had already won the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso two weeks earlier and, racing in the JP McManus colours for the first time, he almost added a Grade 1 victory to his CV at Aintree. Had he jumped any one of the last three fences a little better than he did, he could have finished first in the Manifesto Chase, not second to Protektorat.
He came home with a cut on his leg that day, which may explain his reticence at his obstacles in the home straight, but he bounced back from that last time with a fine performance to finish third behind Koshari in a valuable handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.
He is a big player, a worthy favourite, even if he is racing off a handicap rating of 152. His burden is reduced by 3lb by the excellent Simon Torrens, who bagged four big handicaps in the spring in the JP McManus silks on A Wave Of The Sea, Drop The Anchor, Scoir Mear and Sully D’Oc. He could add another big handicap today.
That said, it may be that another JP McManus horse, TOP MOON, represents better value. The Spanish Moon gelding was a talented hurdler, and it appears as if he is just finding his range now over fences.
Second in the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel as a four-year-old, Joseph O’Brien’s horse ran well in a handicap hurdle at Galway on his next run, only just giving best to De Mazzaro after he got in a little tight to the final flight, and he stepped up on that when he stepped up in trip to two and a half miles next time and won a handicap hurdle at Cork impressively.
It has taken him a little while to warm to fences this season, but he put up a massive performance in the big Matheson Handicap Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival in February to finish second behind A Wave Of The Sea over an extended two miles. He had The Shunter over three lengths behind him in third place that day, and he meets Emmet Mullins’ horse on 5lb more favourable terms today, 8lb more favourable if you don’t include Simon Torrens’ claim.
JP McManus’ horse was impressive too in winning at Wexford last time, he stayed on well to beat Somptueux by two and a half lengths. The handicapper raised him by 8lb for that win, but that still leaves him on a mark of 143, just 1lb higher than his hurdles mark. Also, he appeared to win with plenty at Wexford, and he should come on for that run. He is only six, so he has lots of scope for progression now as a steeplechaser, and Mark Walsh takes the ride.
It might also be worthwhile getting Top Moon’s stable companion HOME BY THE LEE on side at decent odds. The Grade 3 chase that Joseph O’Brien’s horse won at Cork in November worked out really well afterwards. He was chased home that day by subsequent Grade 3 winner Waitnsee, Foxy Jacks, who won a big handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival, The Shunter (see above), Glencarraig Lady Chase winner Rapid Response, and Coral Cup winner Heaven Help Us.
Home By The Lee himself went on from that to finish third behind Envoi Allen in the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase.
He reportedly broke a blood vessel in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas, so you can allow him that, and he bounced back from that next time in a handicap chase at Naas, running out a really impressive winner from Enjoy D’Allen, who subsequently ran a big race at a big price to finish third in the Irish National.
Home By The Lee ran in the Irish National too, and you have to allow him an abject performance there, but that is more than factored into his odds. He is 10lb higher now than he was when he won at Naas, but he has raced just six times over fences, and he is another who has the potential to go beyond his current handicap rating. The intermediate distance of today’s race should suit him well, and it is probable that that he has been targeted for a little while at the Plate by his trainer, who won the race last year with Early Doors.
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