Mossey Joe to blaze Plate trail

REBEL Fitz will be attempting to become the first horse since track specialist Ansar to complete the big race summer double at Ballybrit if lining up in the Tote sponsored €200,000 Galway Plate next Wednesday.

Michael Winters’ well backed eight-year-old brought the house down 12 months ago when just holding off the late thrust of Cause of Causes in the Guinness Galway Hurdle and connections are still weighing up an assault on the festival’s other showpiece event.

The handicapper, however, has taken no chances with Rebel Fitz, giving him a mark of 152 after three novice chase wins, including a bloodless success in Killarney last week when the fatal fall of the front-running and highly regarded Beachdale Lad marred the Christy McSweeney Novice Chase.

That rating would leave Rebel Fitz carrying top weight in the Galway Plate and coupled with the horse’s relative lack of experience over the larger obstacles, it would be no surprise if trainer Winters took the less onerous option and targeted his stable star instead at the novice chase on the following day’s card.

Last year’s surprise 16/1 winner, the Tony Mullins trained Bob Lingo, is back for another crack at the €200,000 event on the third day of the festival but faces carrying at least 17lbs more this time around while his recent form has been largely non de script.

Of much more interest is Mossey Joe, arguably the top hunter chaser in the British Isles. On his previous run at Stratford in early June, the front-running grey destroyed Salsify, successful in the last two editions of the Christies Foxshunters at Cheltenham, and top home challenger, Chapturgeon. Trained in Co. Clare by Declan McNamara, Mossey Joe could prove hard to peg back, especially if allowed a soft lead.

There are seven cross-channel entries for the Galway Plate and the two who make most appeal are Bobowen, which bounced back to form when comfortably landing the Betfred Summer Plate at Market Rasen last Saturday, and one-time classy hurdling Prospect Wells from the Paul Nicholls yard.

Henry de Bromhead’s Aupcharlie, third in the festival bumper at Cheltenham in 2011 and caampigned in some of the top novice chases last winter, and the Mouse Morris trained Rathlin, impressive winner of his last two starts at Punchestown and Killarney, also bring a touch of class to the most valuable chase on the summer racing calendar in the British Isles

Former course winner over hurdles, Carlingford Lough is also among the leading ante post fancies, but the seven year old has still to break his maiden tag over fences although connections have been aiming high, including a tilt (pulled up) at the Irish Grand National last April.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.