Key Points
- Three big betting tips for Galway
- Will it be the Royal Bond next for Mystical Power?
- All roads now lead to Cheltenham
Galway Festival action
As we move onto Day 3 of the Galway Festival, I have three selections for you to take a look at. My main selection runs in the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, but I also have two picks for the Galway Plate.
My selection for the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle is absolutely thriving at the minute and despite conditions not being ideal for her, she is very well-handicapped on these terms and for each way money, she has to be worth a close look.
My two tips for the Galway Plate have equal chances and an equally good price tag attached. I have backed both myself and although I have a personal favourite, it doesn’t matter which one gets the job done, as long as we get one of them to land.
Looking ahead
It’s a really good time of year and the Jumps season will start really heating up soon. We have already seen a potential star Novice in the name of Mystical Power, who is a son of Galileo and out of the one and only Annie Power. He made a very smart impression on his Hurdles debut and all roads now lead to Cheltenham.
I think his next target is likely to be the Royal Bond over Christmas, which is the race that Marine Nationale won before going on to win the Supreme Novice Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, so the sky is the limit for Mystical Power.
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18:40 Galway - Galway Plate (Grade 3) 2m 6f
Enniskerry @ 10/1 & Final Orders @ 10/1
In the Galway Plate tomorrow I have played two horses but definitely have one that I prefer out of the pair. I’ll go onto that in a moment, but first, let’s take a quick look at some of the other runners.
Top weight Hewick deserves a big mention for sure, he won this race last year and also won the Bet365 Gold Cup and the American Grand National, he is a true legend of the sport and has a chance of doubling up here, but the extra 12lb he carries this time around has to be a concern in such a competitive event. The ground may be a slight concern too, but nevertheless, he’s sure to give this a real good go.
Kilcruit for Willie Mullins is the favourite here, which comes as no surprise, but he will have to show more than he has of late and was behind Hewick when they met in the Grade 1 over at Auteuil in May. The switch back to fences should help him but for the price, he has plenty to prove here.
Ash Tree Meadow for Gordon Elliott has a very good chance and is Handicapped to go very close indeed. He was fourth in this race last year off a lower mark and now he is seven years old, he may have more to offer in this sphere. It’s also a bonus that Danny Gilligan claims 7lb, which makes him look interesting enough on paper.
My picks
Now as mentioned earlier, I have backed two in this race.
Final Orders
is my next best if you like and I jumped on when he drifted out to 10/1. I expect a bold bid from Gavin Cromwell’s runner with Sean Flanagan taking the ride for the very first time. He is a seriously good horse when he gets it right and being ridden prominently tends to keep him out of trouble. He is a very game type so these tactics suit him well.
He was very progressive last year and should come into this race in really good form, fit, fresh and ready to go.
My number one selection for this race though is the Barry Connell-trained
Enniskerry, who looks the absolute ideal candidate for a race of this nature and is Handicapped to go out and win. He looks like a Chasing type, despite having ran over Hurdles and on the Flat as well, but his Chase form has been excellent in all of his three starts.
He won twice and on the other occasion was completely outclassed in the Drinmore, where he understandably struggled to keep up with the main protagonists. He was then switched back to the Flat and went on to win decisively at Leopardstown. He is clearly in great form and will be primed to the nines for an attempt at this year’s Galway Plate.
He is very well Handicapped here and with Mikey O’Sullivan in the saddle, he commands plenty of respect
and 10/1 is a very good price for his credentials.
19:15 Mares’ Handicap Hurdle 2m
Vischio E/W @ 10/1
The Mares’ Handicap Hurdle is a very competitive race and there are plenty here with form tying in with one another and various weight scenarios, which makes this race a tough one to figure out.
Of those with a decent chance, Ballybawn Belter and Banntown Girl are closely matched on what they've shown us so far and both are likely to give a good account of themselves. But, they have crept up in the weights and this opens up an opportunity for others in the race at bigger prices.
I think the two main dangers are Royal Eagle and Red Ball Of Fire, who both have outstanding chances and I find it hard to split the pair if I’m being honest. However, the one I’m going to side with is
Vischio
with Danny Mullins on board. She has been in great form on the Flat having won both of her last two starts and she has also won over Hurdles off a mark 5lb higher.
So,
not only is she in great form, she is also very well Handicapped for such a deep race. This is a nice tight track which should help her cause, although the ground is a slight worry. That said, she is in rude health at the moment and I think she’s good enough to get the job done here regardless of conditions.
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Keep tabs on Ginger Joe
Thanks for coming back to check out my column here on betting.co.uk. I hope you have some good luck with my two selections for tomorrow and don’t forget to join me again as I have even more selections as the week goes on. Good Luck with your bets!
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