*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Fancy a free shot at £30k?
The Galway Hurdle takes centre stage on the fourth day of the Galway Races Summer Festival.
A bumper prize pot worth €270,000 is up for grabs as Willie Mullins attempts to saddle the winner for the third year on the spin in Thursday’s 5.05pm.
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Adamantly Chosen heads the Closutton handler’s four-strong squad which also includes Farout, Heia and Shewearsitwell. The bumper field also includes 2019 winner Tudor City, this year’s County Hurdle fifth Ballyadam and Scottish Champion Hurdle heroine Anna Bunina.
We’re paying FIVE places on the Galway Hurdle so to help you pick your horse we’ve compiled a runner-by-runner guide plus tips from Paddy Power horse racing pundits, which you can find below.
Galway Hurdle runners
Ballyadam
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead Jockey: Rachael Blackmore Age: 7 Weight: 11st 12lbs
Creditable fifth of 26 in handicap hurdle at Cheltenham (16.8f, good to soft, 50/1) 132 days ago. Lacks consistency these days but could get involved if he’s on his game.
Felix Desjy
Trainer: Gordon Elliott Jockey: J. W. Kennedy Age: 9 Weight: 11st 12lbs
Unreliable type. C&D winner. Eight wins from 27 NH runs. 25/1, bit below form 9½ lengths fourth of 11 to Santa Rossa in Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary (16f, good to soft) 28 days ago.
Santa Rossa
Trainer: Dermot Anthony McLoughlin Jockey: D. J. O’Keeffe Age: 8 Weight: 11st 12lbs
9/1, career best when winning 11-runner Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary (16f, good to soft) 28 days ago by 3 lengths from Sole Pretender, kept up to work. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should improve further.
Shewearsitwell
Trainer: W. P. Mullins Jockey: Jack Foley Age: 7 Weight: 11st 11lbs
Latest win in hurdle at Killarney in May. 10/3, below form 10 lengths fifth of 11 to Santa Rossa in Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary (16f, good to soft) 28 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut.
Embittered
Trainer: Joseph Patrick O’Brien Jockey: Mr H. C. Swan Age: 8 Weight: 11st 10lbs
Creditable third of 8 in handicap chase at Punchestown (16f, good, 9/4) 61 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Not discounted.
Anna Bunina
Trainer: John McConnell Jockey: Peter Kavanagh Age: 6 Weight: 11st 9lbs
9/2, career best when winning 16-runner handicap hurdle at Bellewstown (16.8f, good) 26 days ago, forging clear. Not taken lightly.
My Mate Mozzie
Trainer: Gavin Patrick Cromwell Jockey: Sean Flanagan Age: 6 Weight: 11st 9lbs
Good second of 10 in maiden at Tipperary (12.5f, good to firm, 9/4) 58 days ago, unable to sustain effort. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Respected.
Autumn Evening
Trainer: Mrs J. Harrington Jockey: Denis O’Regan Age: 5 Weight: 11st 8lbs
Two wins from 6 runs last season. Ninth of 14 in handicap (7/2) at the Curragh (12f, soft) 32 days ago, merely closing up late. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Others preferred.
Farout
Trainer: W. P. Mullins Jockey: D. E. Mullins Age: 5 Weight: 11st 8lbs
C&D winner. Respectable seventh of 20 in handicap at this course (16.8f, good to soft, 9/2) 3 days ago, doing too much too soon. Switches from Flat to hurdles. One to note back over hurdles.
The Very Man
Trainer: Mrs J. Harrington Jockey: Keith Donoghue Age: 8 Weight: 11st 7lbs
C&D winner. 25/1, respectable twelfth of 25 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (23.6f, good to soft) 91 days ago. Significantly down in trip. Cheekpieces back on. Others more persuasive.
Jesse Evans
Trainer: Noel Meade Jockey: B. J. Cooper Age: 6 Weight: 11st 6lbs
Good second of 12 in handicap (4/1) at Killarney (16.8f, good) 16 days ago, slowly away. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Fourth in this off 1 lb higher mark last year. One to consider.
Adamantly Chosen
Trainer: W. P. Mullins Jockey: P. Townend Age: 5 Weight: 11st 5lbs
Two wins from 5 runs last season. Creditable fourth of 24 in handicap hurdle (9/2) at Punchestown (19.1f, soft) 89 days ago, having hopeless task from position. Has good chance on form.
Vina Ardanza
Trainer: Gordon Elliott Jockey: Jordan Colin Gainford Age: 5 Weight: 11st 5lbs
Lightly-raced winner under NH rules. 23½ lengths fourth of 5 to Mighty Potter in Champion Novices’ Hurdle at Punchestown 93 days ago, possibly found race coming too soon. Can’t be written off.
Tudor City
Trainer: A. J. Martin Jockey: L. A. McKenna Age: 10 Weight: 11st 4lbs
C&D winner. Creditable third of 18 in minor event (11/2) at the Curragh (12f, good) 34 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Has a good record in this race and looks well treated.
Top Bandit
Trainer: Gordon Elliott Jockey: K. C. Sexton Age: 6 Weight: 11st 3lbs
Four wins from 6 runs last season. Nineteenth of 26 in handicap hurdle (11/1) at Cheltenham (16.8f, good to soft) 132 days ago, folded as if amiss. Not easy to make a case for.
Heia
Trainer: W. P. Mullins Jockey: S. F. O’Keeffe Age: 5 Weight: 11st 2lbs
Career best when winning 7-runner minor event hurdle at Punchestown (19.8f, good, 7/4) 61 days ago, easily. On the upgrade recently.
Celestial Horizon
Trainer: Joseph Patrick O’Brien Jockey: M. P. Walsh Age: 4 Weight: 11st 0lbs
Pulled up in Grimes Hurdle (28/1) at Tipperary (16f, good to soft) 28 days ago won by Santa Rossa, losing touch from fifth. Cheekpieces on 1st time over jumps. Not one to write off.
The Tide Turns
Trainer: Gordon Elliott Jockey: Sam Ewing Age: 4 Weight: 10st 13lbs
38¾ lengths twelfth of 16 to Anna Bunina in handicap hurdle (5/1) at Bellewstown (16.8f, good) 26 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Others make more appeal.
Glan
Trainer: Gordon Elliott Jockey: L. P. Dempsey Age: 7 Weight: 10st 12lbs
Latest win in hurdle at Fairyhouse in April. 8/1, tailed-off fifteenth of 16 to Celestial Horizon in handicap hurdle at Killarney (17f, good to soft) 74 days ago. Bit to prove.
Prairie Dancer
Trainer: Joseph Patrick O’Brien Jockey: J J Slevin Age: 4 Weight: 10st 8lbs
Latest win in hurdle at Bellewstown in July. 8¾ lengths seventh of 9 to Flaming Moon in listed hurdle at this course (16.5f, good, 7/2) 2 days ago.
Galway Hurdle tips
Mick Fitzgerald: The Galway Hurdle is one of the feature races of the week and Santa Rossa should be on everyone’s short-list. However, the 10lb rise for winning last time at Tipperary is hard to swallow. Adamantly Chosen is the obvious choice after a good fourth at Punchestown in a tough handicap. My preference is for MY MATE MOZZIE who wears cheekpieces now and that is a statement in itself. Trainer Gavin Cromwell feels this horse needs the wake-up call. My Mate Mozzie was beaten a short head in a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse last season having won a Grade 3 at Navan. A rating of 141 looks fair and he has to be a player.
Frank Hickey: It’s not the strongest renewal so I’m going to give a chance to CELESTIAL HORIZON, despite four-year-olds not having the best record in the race. He was sixth in last year’s Irish Cesarewitch and took a while to get going over jumps. He was given too much to do on his handicap debut before bolting up at Killarney off a mark of 127 on his next start. He was stepped up to Grade 3 company in the Grimes Hurdle but that was flying a bit high. He’s only rated 136 and I’d be surprised if that doesn’t improve in time. It’s just a question of whether this comes too soon as a four-year-old.
Timeform: ADAMANTLY CHOSEN shaped well in a competitive handicap at the Punchestown Festival when last seen and could be the way to go. Tudor City is a fixture in this race, with a good record to boot, and has to demand respect. Santa Rossa and Farout are a couple of others to note.
Ruby Walsh: This has been the target for Adamantly Chosen since Punchestown. He was too keen in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham but he settled much better at Punchestown. However, he found himself too far back. He came home well but he’s dropping to 2m. I don’t know if he’s quick enough over this distance but we’ll find out! This is a hard race to call and I’ve got doubts over a lot of the runners. I’ve narrowed it down to five… Adamantly Chosen, My Mate Mozzie, Shewearsitwell, Autumn Evening and Jesse Evans. If I had to pick, I’d go AUTUMN EVENING because of the price.
Thursday’s Tips
- Horse Racing Tips: Frank Hickey’s fine fancies for Thursday’s action at Goodwood & Galway
- Horse Racing Tips: Our 5 that may thrive on Thursday for Galway Hurdle day
- Horse Racing tips: Mick Fitzgerald’s fine Thursday fancies for Galway
- Horse Racing Tips: Ruby Walsh’s best bets for Galway on Thursday
Read More on the Galway Races Summer Festival
- Gallop over to Paddy Power News for all the latest racing tips
- Galway races times, tips, results and how to watch today’s action from Ballybrit
- When is the Galway Festival 2022? Dates and race schedule for seven-day summer meeting
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