Join the band and run with Outlaws to land the Hurdle

By George McDonagh

WHEN putting my thoughts together for this preview a year ago, I believed I had two sure things: the first was that Early Doors would win the Galway Plate; the second was that 2020 would be the only year we would have no racegoers in attendance at the big Ballybrit Festival.

The first I got 100% right, the second, well yes we will have 1000 people, but it will still feel empty at Galway Racecourse next week. On the positive side, in excess of 125,000 people will have received a Covid vaccination dose at the track this year.

This year both feature contests, the Tote Galway Plate and the Guinness Galway Hurdle, offer increased prize money of  €250,000 which is simply extraordinary in the current climate, but testament to the tremendous work of the Race Committee and management at the racecourse.

Looking at the Tote Galway Plate, the eventual outcome I believe will centre on whether the classy Samcro, on a mark of 158, takes his chance or not as if he does there are plenty of progressive sorts ready to take advantage off a low weight.

Samcro himself is all class despite not maybe reaching the heights many (myself included) thought he would. He is a dual Grade One Cheltenham winner, but carrying top weight in a helter-skelter Galway Plate will put his jumping to a test that I believe he may not pass.

The quality of the Plate fields have risen sharply in the last number of years and, in order to find the winner, one most look at runners that you think have a few pounds improvement “hidden” in their body.

Last year’s gambled on runner-up Royal Rendezvous is back again for the all powerful Willie Mullins team, although now rated seven pounds higher (153) than his slightly unlucky three-quarter length defeat 12 months ago when not having the clearest of runs in the straight.

He has had just two runs since, firstly at Punchestown when well beaten after being badly hampered at the start, and then at Ballinrobe when he dotted up in a conditions hurdle at long odds on – but I feel he may have too much weight .

The Shunter (152) has been a revelation since Emmet Mullins has found the key to him and sauntered home in the Mildmay Of Flete at Cheltenham having collected the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso en route. He then found Grade 1 company too tough at Aintree but on collateral form, The Shunter has a fair bit to find with A Wave To The See, one of a couple of Joseph O’Brien trained contenders that take the eye.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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