Top trainers target Ardilaun Hotel feature at Galway September meeting

IRELAND’S three leading flat trainers account for over half of the 19 entries for the €55,000 Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes – the most valuable event on the opening evening of the two-day Galway September meeting which gets underway on Monday.

Ballybrit specialist Dermot Weld, who lost his near 30-year stranglehold on the trainers’ championship at the recent summer festival, Aidan O’Brien and Jim Bolger are all launching a strong assault on this listed contest run over a mile and a half.

Among Weld’s two entries are Alveena which was sent off the even money favourite in last year’s Oyster Stakes, only to lose out in a tight finish to 7/1 stablemate Zhukova, ridden by Galway jockey Leigh Roche.

Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has four entries, including the 96 rated Hibiscus, while Jim Bolger has also a quartet of potential runners, headed by Glamorous Approach.

Galway summer festival winner, the progressive Tara Dylan trained by Tom Mullins, is also a possibility, but could be held in reserve for the upcoming Champions Weekend. Dual-purpose performer Morga, a surprise winner at the Curragh last time, also features among the entries as does More Mischief, trained in the UK by Jeb O’Keefe.

The Ardilaun Oyster Stakes is the feature event of Monday’s all-flat card which gets underway at 4.35pm. Interestingly, Aidan O’Brien has seven of the 15 entries in the opening Donnelly’s of Barna Maiden, further indication of the massive firepower at his disposal.

Tuesday’s fixture is entirely National Hunt and the highlight is the €30,000 Ballybrit Novice Chase. The action kicks off at 4.25pm and Galway manager Michael Moloney reports that going on the jumping course is good to yielding, and yielding on the flat track.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.