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Wednesday

The Galway Plate (18:40) is the biggest race of the week and it’s really good running this year. It’s so competitive with horses from all the big yards taking part and it’s good to see a horse like Kilcruit   taking his chance. Make no mistake, he’s a very good horse and he showed that no more so than at Punchestown, when sluiced up. He’s always threatened to be a top-class horse, and his rating of 160 now reflects that, but to me, he’s simply the best horse in the race. 

There are a few others worth mentioning too. Lifetime Ambition  could go well. He unseated in the Grand National on his last start but before that, had gone well in some similar races of this nature. Jessie’s horses are in grand form, too. The ground will be a player this week; it’ll be softer that most expected or from what we all expect in the middle of Summer! 

Regular readers of my blog will know I’ve got a soft spot for Foxy Jacks  . He’s a nutcase of a horse and isn’t one to be totally trusted, but he’s got an engine and on his day, he can pick up a race of this nature. I’m not sure if it’s today, but one day he will pop up! 

The Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (19:15) is competitive, as most of these mares’ handicaps hurdles are. Banntown Girl  often runs well in these types of races. She actually seems to run better in better races, so I’d expect a good show from her as I would form Paul Nolan’s Feet Of A Dancer, who is improvingly rapidly. 

Thursday

On Thursday, the best race of the day is the Galway Hurdle (17:05) and if Zarak The Brave runs anything like to the level he showed behind Lossiemouth – who was the outstanding juvenile last season – then he’s the one they all have to beat. He missed the Triumph but ran well in a Grade 1 in France in May, where he finished third. He was too keen that day, but they’ll go a much more frantic pace here and that’ll help him settle. I could see him bolting up.  

Mighty Tom must have an each-way chance, too. He bolted up the last time and is obviously improving quickly. His trainer is having a good time of things lately and this would be some prize to win for him!