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Winning Post By David Thorpe
The Galway Plate is always one of the best betting races of the year and this
season’s event has plenty of opportunities for punters to pay for
their summer holidays.
Favourite at this stage looks like being the Christy Roche trained Cool
Running.
This promising gelding runs very inconsistently and will be a very short
price and so is best avoided. His trainer also has a poor record at this
meeting having sent out several beaten favourites in recent years.
Many punters are likely to focus on Dermot Weld’s Ansar. Second
in this race last year and winner of the race on two previous occasions
he will have a competitive weight this year.
If Weld employs talented young amateur Robbie McNamara to take some weight
off the gelding’s back then this horse could win the race.
Weld is the most successful trainer in the recent history of the Galway
Festival and will be looking for another big race win.
Another trainer with a fantastic record at Galway is the Tramore, Co.
Waterford trainer Pat Flynn. He is a master at training horses to win
big handicaps so his horse Pacolet has a major chance, particularly given
his recent victory on the flat.
Pat Flynn’s horses are running very well at the moment and it is
often useful to follow a trainer in form.
English interest is likely to centre upon Sir Frederick. This contender
won very nicely at Cartmel last week and should be ridden by top English
jockey Richard Johnson leaving him with a major chance.
But preference at this stage is for Conna Castle the Jimmy Mangan-trained
horse has a very good weight and his recent form is excellent.
The Gelding is trained in the Kingdom of Co. Kerry and his talkative trainer,
whose biggest success to date was the victory of Monty’s Pass in
the Grand National of 2003, is very confident about Conna Castle’s
chances.
He has raced very rarely in recent months similar to the way Monty’s
Pass was prepared before his Grand National triumph.
Conna Castle looks like the best each-way bet in the race while Adamant
Approach, Ursumman and Callow Lake are other excellent each-way prospects.
Piltown could give Kilkenny trainer Joe Crowley the biggest victory of
his training career in the Galway Hurdle while other horses to look out
for at the festival include Amarjit, Latino Magic and Hoo La Baloo. |
