Horse Racing Tips: Ruby Walsh’s Top Picks for Monday at Galway

Ruby's hoping to take advantage of some extra each-way places at Galway on day one

By / Horse Racing Tips / 4 months ago

Ruby Walsh’s Galway Racing Tips

16:50 – Feud
17:25 – Harley Street
18:00 – Whiskey and Beer
18:40 – Speedwood
19:10 – Pinot Gris
19:45 – Kentucky Gal

*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.

16:50 – Feud

Sysko hasn’t run since April 2023 when he won at Nort-Sur-Erdre as a three-year-old, and it’s hard to know what kind of a race that was. He goes well at home but he’s going to have to do things right as Palamon sets a decent standard off 123 in this.

I was impressed with FEUD at Listowel when he won under Danny Mullins, who’ll ride him again here for Richard O’Brien. He beat Handlethekettle but the third horse there, Malbay Madness for Emmet Mullins, may have had more of an eye on Galway than Listowel that day. I still think Feud was very impressive on his hurdling debut and Sysko is going to have to go well to beat him.

17:25 – Harley Street

I’ve liked the look of HARLEY STREET. He ran reasonably well at Tipperary in his first start since October 2023. That handicap hurdle was won by Clodders Dream and while Harley Street wasn’t the biggest eye-catcher in that contest – For Fear of Frost probably was – I still think he ran well. He looked to get a bit tired over the last two hurdles, but that was over two-and-a-half miles and he’s dropping back in trip on Monday.

He only had two runs for Aidan O’Brien when he trained on the flat in Ballydoyle, winning a Curragh maiden. Since then he’s started five over hurdles, three of those in really quick succession last Autumn and had a comeback run in early July. I think he’s been lined up for Galway and at around about 10/1 he will do for me each-way with Paddy paying five places.

18:00 – Whiskey and Beer

Dermot Weld has owned this race over the years, winning it 24 times, and he’s got the favourite in Truth Be Told this year.

He came home really well at Naas behind Swagman and that looked an ideal run for Galway. Dermot says he likes to give his two-year-olds a run before Galway, though plenty, such as Tahiyra, have managed to win without it. Truth Be Told had that run at Naas and I thought he showed more than Rock of Cashel did at the Curragh when he was eighth behind Hazdann. It’s also easy to imagine the Weld runner overturning the form with Viking Invasion, who finished second in that Naas run.

For me though, WHISKEY AND BEER was eye-catching at Fairyhouse too. He got one crack behind the saddle and seemed to take off for it – Billy Lee put his whip down in the last 100 yards and he definitely wasn’t knocked around behind Black Forza. He’ll have improved a hell of a lot for that run too and, at the odds, I’d prefer him.

18:40 – Speedwood

I’m not going to lie, I thought this was a very difficult race to call and I’m going to go for one each-way with the extra place here, but I hope they’re going to change tactics from his last run.

SPEEDWOOD broke really quickly in a 6f open handicap that University won and he led them on the nearside of the track before fading a furlong down. I hope they change approach with him going up in trip here. He’s wearing a tongue-tie for the first time as well, but if he’s dropped in and ridden to come home I think he’ll do it well.

He ran at Naas previously behind Over The Blues and that form’s got a boost when he finished second to Nighteyes in a Listed race at Naas again last week, so I think Speedwood ridden a bit differently could be value around 14/1 each-way.

19:10 – Pinot Gris

Teed Up is a real course specialist but you can see that in the market with him favoured at around 7/2. Obviously Alphonse Le Grande won the consolation Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, and has won at Chester over 2m2f and at Dundalk this year. He looks to be a better horse on a really sound surface but I’m not so sure we’re going to get that earlier in the week at Galway. The forecast might have it drying but it could be on the slow side still on Monday. That puts me off him.

Enfranchise has really good course form, beating Rath Gaul Boy in a maiden hurdle by 11 lengths, so I can see the case for the three at the top of the market.

Lot of Joy ran really well under James Doyle behind Star Harbour on her last start but she doesn’t win very often. The one I like finished behind Lot of Joy at the Curragh the last day. That was PINOT GRIS for Gavin Cromwell, who can handle a dig in the ground. The mark of 83 is fair enough too, Gavin’s horses are flying at the moment, Declan Lavery riding wouldn’t be a negative either and going back up in trip after the run behind Star Harbour makes it the value pick here.

19:45 – Kentucky Gal

I’m going for one at a price again in KENTUCKY GAL. She was impressive at the Curragh, behind Lord Church, under Johnny Velazquez and she’d won at Gowran before that, defeating Moltophino, who has franked that form by finishing second to Power Mode at Naas.

Going up from 9f to one-and-a-half miles will really suit her. She’s been drawn in 14, which isn’t outstanding but I still think she’s a great shout each-way at the price.

 

Galway Racing Tips

16:50 – Feud
17:25 – Harley Street
18:00 – Whiskey and Beer
18:40 – Speedwood
19:10 – Pinot Gris
19:45 – Kentucky Gal

*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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