Timeform preview and tips: Galway Monday highlights

The Ratings Banker

HMS Seahorse – 17.10 Galway

Paul Nolan’s colt HMS Seahorse looks to have plenty in hand of his rivals on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings in the opening novice hurdle for four-year-olds, even under a penalty. Originally in training with Aidan O’Brien alongside his very smart brother Armory, HMS Seahorse failed to win in five attempts for Ballydoyle.

However, having joined Nolan, he got his head in front for the first time in a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse in February and followed that with a very good fourth behind Brazil in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival despite things not going ideally for him. As his odds of 33/1 suggest, he faced a much stiffer task in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown but gave a good account there too to finish third behind top juvenile Vauban.

HMS Seahorse has his attentions switched back to hurdles here, but his entry in next month’s Ebor takes the eye and he showed plenty of improvement to get off the mark on the Flat when running away with the valuable Ragusa Handicap at the Curragh last month when he could be called the winner from early in the straight and was eased to a six-and-a-half length success.

The Big Improver

Common Practice – 19.50 Galway

Joseph O’Brien has his string in good form and he can win this handicap for three-year-olds over a mile and a half with the J. P. McManus-owned Common Practice. The son of Gleneagles had done all his racing over seven furlongs until his latest start when clearly relishing a significant step up in trip to a mile and a half.

That came in the Apprentice Derby at the Curragh last month when Common Practice was the subject of strong support and duly proved too good for his 17 rivals as the 3/1 favourite. He needed every yard of the longer trip too, tracking the pace before staying on to lead in the final strides for a half-length win over Alma Libre. Common Practice responded well to a strong drive from Dylan McMonagle who retains the ride here.

Clearly more at home over a mile and a half, Common Practice is open to further improvement at this trip and he looks one to keep on the right side.

The Timeform Flag

Farout – 18.40 Galway

Horse In Focus

The highlight of the first day of the Galway Festival is the Connacht Hotel Handicap, a valuable staying contest for amateur riders. Willie Mullins has six of the declared runners, plus one of the reserves, in a contest he won for the third year running in 2019. Mullins’ son Patrick partners Echoes In Rain who chased home Honeysuckle in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle earlier this year and ran well on her first Flat start for three years last time, but preference is for stablemate Farout further down the weights.

He too has done most of his racing of late over hurdles and won the four-year-old novice hurdle on this very card twelve months ago. Farout went on to prove a useful hurdler over the winter, finishing placed in Grade 1 novice company. Earlier in his career, he was a winner in France for Francis-Henri Graffard and shaped well on his return to the Flat in a lady riders’ handicap at Leopardstown in May.

The combination of a mile and a half and a steadily-run race made it in an inadequate test for Farout but he finished well for fifth after getting outpaced, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. The step up to two miles looks sure to suit Farout therefore, with Jody Townend in the saddle again. Paul Townend’s sister was successful on the stable’s most recent winner of this race, Great White Shark.

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