Check out Donn McClean's full runner guide to the Galway Hurdle.
1. Solness
A triple Grade 1 winner over fences, he hasn’t raced over hurdles since he won a three-horse race at Sligo in October 2024. That was his springboard to a new level, he has improved to a mark of 164 over fences, but he gets to race off his hurdles mark of 153. He obviously has plenty of weight, he has to concede weight to all his rivals, but if he can run to a mark that is close to his chase mark, back over hurdles, that would see him deeply involved.
2. Casheldale Lad
He was third in the race last year, he is a stone higher now than he was then, but he has earned his new rating of 152. His last two races have been in Grade 1 hurdles, and he should appreciate the drop back into handicap company. He hasn’t run since last December, when he finished within six and a half lengths of Lossiemouth in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown, but he does go well fresh. He represents last year’s winning trainer, and Josh Williamson is big value for his 5lb claim.
3. Ndaawi
Second in the race in 2024 as a five-year-old and second past the post in last year’s race, but promoted to first after suffering interference, he is 7lb higher than he was in 2025. But he won nicely at Cork in April, and he warmed up for this with a win in a qualified riders’ race on the flat at Listowel at the end of May. His record at Galway reads 21, in this race, and he is a big contender again.
4. El Cairos
One of the most exciting young novices around last season, and obviously unlucky not to win his maiden hurdle at Leopardstown last Christmas, he hasn’t fulfilled his potential yet, but he is only six and he has raced just four time over hurdles. There is time for him and, the choice of Jack Kennedy, he could be a seriously well-handicapped horse on a mark of 143 in a first-time tongue-tie.
5. Laafi
First past the post in the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April, he ran a big race in the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock next time off a 6lb higher mark, only just giving best late on to Moon Chime, who won on the flat at Kempton next time. He is only 2lb higher now than he was then. A classy handicapper on the flat when he was with William Haggas, his style of racing should be well suited to a Galway Hurdle. His trainer had the second and fourth in the Connacht Hotel Handicap on Monday, and Paddy O’Brien is another conditional rider who is good value for his claim.
6. Puturhandstogether
Adept in big-field handicaps, he won the Fred Winter Hurdle as a juvenile in 2025 and he won the Irish Cesarewitch last September. He hasn’t won since, but he had excuses in each of his last two runs in big handicaps on the flat, and it is probable that this has been his target for a while. His trainer is having a good week so far, and Harry Cobden registered his first Galway win yesterday.
7. Tounsivator
Winner of the Royal Bond Hurdle on his last day as a novice in December 2024, he finished fourth in last year’s Galway Hurdle off a mark of 138. He is 1lb higher now than he was then, but he once again proved his ability to operate at Galway with a fine run in the Connacht Hotel Handicap on Monday, doing best by far of the hold-up horses.
8. Murcia
Winner of the Grade 1 Anniversary Hurdle at Aintree as a juvenile, she ran well in soft-ground handicap hurdles at Leopardstown and Fairyhouse in the spring, and she put up a good performance over two and a half miles at Killarney last time when she just gave best to Run For Mahler close home. She was probably outstayed by the winner that day, she should appreciate the ground today and the drop back down in trip, and she is the choice of Paul Townend.
9. Too Bossy For Us
Winner of the maiden hurdle that his stable companion and subsequent Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Ethical Diamond won at Punchestown in February, he hasn’t won again since, but his three runs over hurdles in the meantime were all in graded company and, sixth in the Connacht Hotel Handicap on Monday, he should appreciate the move back to handicap company over hurdles.
10. Helvic Dream
First past the post in last year’s renewal, only to be demoted in the stewards’ room. A Group 1 winner on the flat, he is nine now, and he is 5lb higher in the handicap that he was for last year’s race, but this race has surely been on his radar again for some time, and his trainer has his horses in tremendous form.
11. Starting Fifteen
Winner of his maiden hurdle at Limerick in December, he wasn’t beaten far in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April. A five-year-old who has raced just four times over hurdles, he may lack the experience required for this contest but, conversely and consequently, he has the potential to go beyond the handicap rating of 135 off which he will race.
12. Gameball
Winner of his only bumper for Andy Slattery, and off his maiden hurdle on his hurdling bow, his first run for Henry de Bromhead, he was probably out-stayed by Paul’s Dream over two and a half miles at Kilbeggan last time. He should appreciate the drop back down to two miles today. He has raced just four times over hurdles, and just five times under all codes, and he is another who has bags of potential for further progression.
13. Ragmans Corner
He is more exposed than most, but he stayed on well to win nicely at Killarney in May on his latest run over hurdles, his first run back after a break. A 5lb hike takes him up to a career-high mark of 132, but he goes into the race in good form, and he goes well at Galway, where his record reads 4132.
14. Putapoundinthejar
He goes into the race in good form on the back of a game victory at Bellewstown almost four weeks ago. His trainer Tony Martin has won the Hurdle four times in the last 12 years, and he sent out Orandi to win the Colm Quinn BMW Mile on Tuesday, and the Walk In The Park gelding is the mount of yesterday’s Galway Plate hero Daniel King.
15. Beauvallon
He has won two of his four races over hurdles since joining Willie Mullins from top French flat trainer Francis Graffard. Winner of his maiden hurdle at Limerick in March, he was impressive in springing a bit of a surprise in a highly competitive novices’ hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in April. A half-brother to 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner Poetic Flare, he was beaten at odds-on at Bellewstown last time, but it may be that he was facing an arduous task there in trying to concede a total of 15lb to Mino Des Mottes, who ran well at Galway on Monday. He is only four, like two of the last three winners of the Galway Hurdle and, coming from a yard that has been responsible for five of the last 10 winners of the race, there could be a fair bit more to come.
16. Sageborough
Another lightly-raced individual who was in rear but still hadn’t been asked for his effort when he came down at the second last flight in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in March, he was good in winning a rated hurdle at Wexford last time. A mark of 128 is more than workable for the sole representative for Paul Nolan, a three-time winner of the Galway Hurdle.
17. Royal Hollow
You can easily put a line through her run in this race last year, as her chance was scuppered at the start. She is much better judged on the performance that she put up in winning a mares’ hurdle at Gowran last October, or in finishing second behind Murcia in a mares’ hurdle at Listowel in May. Her flat rating of 90 suggests that she still could have at least a little bit of leeway in a hurdles mark of 127.
18. Barbizon
After reaching a rating of 101 on the flat for John Murphy, he got off the mark over hurdles on his first run for Gordon Elliott at Navan last November. He came up short in some of the top juvenile hurdle races after that, and he was well beaten last time at Bellewstown behind Putapoundinthejar, but he is only four and he will surely go well beyond his current hurdles rating of 126 in time. It is not ideal though that he is 5lb out of the handicap.
19. Kai Lung
A winner over seven furlongs on the flat in France, he hasn’t won since he won his maiden hurdle on his first run for Willie Mullins at Naas in January. He has been highly tried mind you, his next three runs were in graded races, and, while he came up short at Ballinrobe in May, and while he also has to race from out of the handicap, he was noted keeping on well wide and late from a wide draw in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile on Tuesday.
20. Thisistheway
Winner of the Connolly’s Red Mills Final at the 2025 Punchestown Festival, she put up one of her best performances since then last time, when she finished a close-up fourth behind Putapoundinthejar at Bellewstown four weeks ago. That was her first run back after a short break, so she could come on for it, but she is also 5lb wrong and that makes things difficult.
21. No Looking Back
He is 8lb out of the handicap, and he will face a tough task if he does get into the race.
Verdict
1. LAAFI
2. Puturhandstogether
3. El Cairos
4. Beauvallon
More from Sporting Life
- Free bets
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.al
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
