Galway Plate Tips
Paddy Mullins – Kilcruit
Frank Hickey – The Goffer & Hollow Games
Fran Berry – Ash Tree Meadow & Enniskerry
*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.
Galway Wednesday – Galway Plate – 18:40
Paddy Mullins – Kilcruit
Willie (Mullins) doesn’t really do long-term plans – many might say he doesn’t do short-term plans either – but after Punchestown you decide on who’s going to stay in training and go to Galway.
Kilcruit won that Novice Handicap Chase at Punchestown which is a great preparation for the Galway Plate, it’s a similar enough race. He’s a huge amount of ability and was second in the Cheltenham Champion Bumper a couple of years ago. I rode him in the Spring Novices Hurdle at Leopardstown and at Punchestown.
He didn’t jump well for me though – there was something niggling him. He should’ve beaten Jonbon for second behind Constitution Hill and he should’ve gotten a lot closer to Stateman but there was something catching him that time.
He was a little slow to get started over fences but he won by 15 lengths at Punchestown rated 146. The 2m 6f trip will suit him as will Galway’s unique test. The fact that last year’s winner Hewick is due to run off a mark of 167.
Usually at a rating of 160 you’d carry around 11st 12lbs or 11st 10lbs but instead Kilcruit will be carrying under 11st 7lbs and that has to be a huge factor towards his chance of winning.
Hewick ran off 155 last year, he ran of 163 in the Kerry National, he’s going to be around that mark again. We’ve seen in several races over the last few years that proper Grade 1 horses can carry these weights in the handicaps and it wasn’t the case, or even tried for a long time.
That also brings Easy Game into it. He was second two years ago off 157 and he’s only 2lbs higher this year. That year the rider dropped the stick turning in. He was maybe unlucky not to win. He’s won nine from 12 since then, which is incredible. He ran poorly last year but he got badly hampered in the fourth last and at Galway the next two fences are down the hill and around a bend so he never got a chance to get back into contention. He’s not unexposed, but he’s run well off this mark and is consistent. He’s got to have a great each-way chance.
Authorized Art could also be an each-way play for some. He’s got winter form, he did very well at Limerick in Grade 1 and has a 14lb swing with Kilcruit from their Punchestown run. His form tapered off at the end of the season and he’s run well at Galway before too. He’s lightly-raced, unexposed and he could be a bit over-priced.
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Frank Hickey – The Goffer & Hollow Games
Your starting point is what is Willie Mullins going to run and who is Paul Townsend going to ride. He’ll surely ride Kilcruit who was a brilliant winner at Punchestown and has a bit of class about him.
He’s the obvious choice and is short enough in the market.
You couldn’t write last year’s winner Hewick off and he ran a cracker in the Cheltenham Gold Cup before falling. He then went to Sandown and won a Grade 2 contest.
The two that stand out for me are The Goffer who won the Leopardstown Handicap Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. He was very impressive over 2m 5f and stepped up in trip for the rest of the season. He ran really well in the Ultima Chase at Cheltenham and looked to have every chance but was out-stayed in a hot contest. The winner Corach Rambler went on to win the Aintree Grand National.
Fastorslow was second and he won the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Punchestown. The Goffer disappointed at the Irish National but you’d forgive him that. This 2m 6f at Galway is more his trip and gets a mark off 146. He won off 138 at Leopardstown. If he runs, I’d be very interested in him.
Gordon Elliott’s other runner Hollow Games, a very good novice hurdler, and won his two bumpers. He was very good at Navan over 2m 1f and jumped really well. They tried to make him into a two miler but I don’t think he was quick enough. He’s yet to go beyond two miles. He was a bit better in a handicap in Punchestown but stepping up in trip is going to help him an awful lot.
Fran Berry – Ash Tree Meadow & Enniskerry
Ash Tree Meadow is one 1lb higher than when he was fourth in this race last year as a novice. He’s probably just been trained for this race. I thought his recent Flat run was very eye-catching in the context of running over 1m 4f at Roscommon.
Enniskerry is another stand out. He was awesome at in an amateur maiden at Leopardstown. He’s been second at this track over hurdles and he’s won here last year over fences. He has that profile of an unexposed horse stepping into handicaps. Given his course record and the way he won at Leopardstown he’s priced fairly in the market.
Galway Plate Tips
Paddy Mullins – Kilcruit
Frank Hickey – The Goffer & Hollow Games
Fran Berry – Ash Tree Meadow & Enniskerry
*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.
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