Horse-by-horse guide to the tote Galway Plate

1. Hewick

Bought for €850 as a two-year-old, he has already won a Bet365 Gold Cup and an Oaksey Chase and a Grade 1 race in America, and he was running a massive race in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March when he came down at the second last fence. He battled on to win the Galway Plate too last year, staying on well up the hill despite the attentions of a loose horse. He is 12lb higher in the handicap now, it is a big ask, but you know that he will run his race. The less rain the better.

2. Kilcruit

A high-class individual, a Grade 1 winner as a bumper horse, he was an impressive winner of the two-mile-five-furlong novices’ handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival in April, a race that has been won by some top-class individuals in the past. The choice of Paul Townend, he is 12lb higher now in the handicap than he was when he won at Punchestown, but he could have the class to cope with a hike of that magnitude.

3. Easy Game

He won a novice hurdle at the 2018 Galway Festival, and he has run in the last three renewals of the Plate, doing best in 2021 when he finished second to his stable companion Royal Rendezvous. He is only 2lb higher now than he was then and, winner of his last four races, he warmed up for this nicely with an impressive win at Listowel in June.

4. Fury Road

A top-class staying hurdler, he has run only in graded races over fences since he made his chasing bow in a beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse in November 2021. A Grade 1 winner as a novice, he hasn’t won since he won the Grade 2 intermediate chase at Down Royal in November on his debut last season, but he is dropping down the handicap as a consequence, and, given that Gordon Elliott has six runners in the race, it is obviously significant that Jack Kennedy rides.

5. Lifetime Ambition

Fourth in the Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree and second in the Troytown Chase at Navan in the early part of last season, he was running a nice race in the Grand National in April when he was taken out by a loose horse. He is a Grade 3 winner over fences over three miles, but this slightly shorter trip is probably his optimum.

6. Andy Dufresne

He hasn’t won since he landed a Grade 3 novices’ chase at Navan in December 2020, but he wasn’t beaten far by Captain Guinness in the Fortria Chase on his debut last season, and he was well backed for a competitive handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival in April, a race in which he was travelling kindly when he unseated his rider. A mark of 150 is workable, and Aidan Kelly is really good value for his 5lb claim.

7. Final Orders

Zero for 16 on the flat at the start of his career, he was a revelation last season, his first over fences, winning five on the spin, despite his diminutive stature, his winning run culminating in victory in a competitive two-mile handicap chase at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival in February. He warmed up for this nicely when he kept on well to win a handicap on the flat at Bellewstown a month ago, and the Plate has been his target for a little while.

8. Enniskerry

An impressive winner of his beginners’ chase at last year’s Galway Festival, he stepped forward from that next time in winning a Grade 3 novices’ chase at Roscommon, when he impressed with his jumping. Given a nice break by his trainer after he was pulled up in the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase in December, he returned in a qualified riders’ maiden on the flat at Leopardstown in June, and won easily. He is nine now, but he is lightly raced for his age, and he still has the potential to go beyond a handicap rating of 148.

9. Visionarian

Winner of the Grade 3 novices’ chase on Galway Hurdle day last year, he ran some big races last season as a novice, finishing second in the Grade 1 two-mile novices’ chase at Leopardstown at Christmas, and finishing third behind Banbridge and Saint Roi in the Grade 1 Manifesto Chase at Aintree in April. His run in the Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary last month was his first run back after a short break, and his trainer’s horses are always worth a second look at this meeting.

10. Ciel De Neige

A progressive novice chaser two seasons ago, he raced just three times last season, finishing down the field in valuable handicap chases at Leopardstown before running well in the Topham Chase at Aintree in April, he was just starting to stay on when he came down at the second last fence. The blinkers that he used to wear replaced cheekpieces that day, they are back on again today, rain will be a positive, and he is the choice of Mark Walsh.

11. Foxy Jacks

Winne of a valuable handicap chase at the 2021 Punchestown Festival, he finally bagged another valuable handicap last time at Kilbeggan, when he stayed on well to land the Midlands National. He is 8lb higher now, and that obviously makes things more difficult, but he goes into the race in good form and Gavin Brouder’s record on him reads 21.

12. Authorized Art

He won four of his five races last summer, including a Grade 3 novices’ chase at Tipperary in October, but he came up short in Grade 1 company later in the season. He was well beaten by his stable companion Kilcruit in that good novices’ handicap chase at Punchestown in April, and he is going to have to improve on that if he is to reverse placings even on 14lb better terms.

13. The Goffer

He improved nicely through last season, winning the Leopardstown Chase at Leopardstown in February and running a big race in the Ultima Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, before going to Sandown in April and finishing fourth in the Bet365 Gold Cup. He hasn’t run since, but he can go well fresh.

14. Ash Tree Meadow

Winner of three of his first four chases, he ran a big race in his fifth, to finish fourth in the Galway Plate last year. Given a break after he finished second to Straw Fan Jack in a novices’ chase at Cheltenham last October, he has run well of late in defeat over hurdles and on the flat, and he could be well handicapped on a mark of 145, just 1lb higher than last year’s mark. And talented young rider Danny Gilligan can still claim 7lb today, with his claim reducing to 5lb from tomorrow.

15. A Wave Of The Sea

An early faller in last year’s Plate, he is down to a handicap rating of 143, which is 6lb lower than last year’s mark and just 1lb higher than the mark off which he won the big two-mile handicap chase at the 2022 Dublin Racing Festival. He warmed up for this nicely with a good run in the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary last month.

16. Gabbys Cross

He won the Galway Blazers over the Plate course and distance last year, going on around the home turn and staying on strongly to get home by over two lengths from Busselton, who won the Kerry National on his next run. He hasn’t run since he unseated his rider at The Chair in the Grand National, but he had a similar break before he won the Blazers last year, and Rachael Blackmore is back on board. Any more rain would be a positive.

17. Fighter Allen

An easy winner at Tramore in April 2022, his first three runs last season were disappointing, but he was better when returned to hurdles at Ballinrobe last time, when he kept on to finish third behind Fils D’Oudairies and Cash Back. A half-brother to Envoi Allen, he has the potential to be better than his mark of 142 if he could put it all together.

18. Hollow Games

One for one in point-to-points and two for two in bumpers, he was a talented staying novice hurdler, and he got off the mark over fences on his chasing bow at Navan last November. Well beaten in two Grade 1 contests subsequently, he kept on well to take fourth place behind Dinoblue in a valuable two-mile handicap chase at Punchestown in April. He should appreciate the step back up in trip today, and he has run just four times over fences, so he has the potential to go beyond his chase rating of 142, just 2lb higher than his hurdles rating.

19. Hurricane Georgie

She came into last year’s Plate in great form having won her previous three races, including the Midlands National at Kilbeggan, and she was unlucky to unseat her rider at the first fence. Only fourth in the Midlands National this year, she is going to have to improve on that if she is going to exact her revenge on Foxy Jacks, even on 9lb better terms.

20. Lieutenant Command

He sprang a bit of a surprise when he won the Carrickmines Handicap Chase at Leopardstown in March, staying on well to get home by just over a length from Mars Harper. He was well beaten at Punchestown next time off today’s mark, but he won his maiden hurdle on his only run to date at Galway, and he could be a lively outsider if the rains stay away.

21. Upping The Anti

Winner of his first two chases, he kept on well to take second place behind subsequent Grade 1 winner Flame Bearer in a Grade 3 chase run over two and a quarter miles at Thurles in March. He should appreciate the step back up in trip today, and he is still lightly enough raced over fences for him to retain potential for further progression.

22. Born By The Sea

Winner of the Galway Blazers in 2021 off a handicap rating of 130, he ran a massive race in the Grand National in April to finish sixth behind Corach Rambler. This is more his trip though, and we know that he can go well at Galway.

Verdict:

1. Enniskerry

2. Ash Tree Meadow

3. Kilcruit

4. Gabbys Cross

5. Hollow Games

www.donnmcclean.com

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