Galway tips: Nurburgring can make class tell in Galway Hurdle

The Thursday nap goes to One Look, who can bounce back to winning ways in the Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies’ Stakes

Thu, 01 Aug, 2024 - 07:36

Tommy Lyons

Guinness Galway Hurdle day in Ballybrit brings the certainty of a huge crowd to enjoy the feature, which offers €159,300 to the winner. That’s where the absolutes end as it is fiercely competitive. History tells us it is difficult for four-year-olds to win, but there are two in this renewal, Nurburgring and Ndaawi, and both have decent claims.

Preference is for Nurburgring, a Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding who has a Flat rating of 91 and 139 over hurdles. He may have had just six runs over hurdles, but he has also had seven outings on the Flat and shouldn’t be found wanting for lack of experience.

Of his record over hurdles, he finished first on three occasions, though he was disqualified on one occasion. One of the other three runs was in a Grade Two, in which he finished a very close third to the classy Kala Konti, and the other two were in Grade Ones, in which he finished fourth to Majborough, in the Triumph Hurdle, and a close third behind Kargese at Punchestown.

He has plenty of scope for further improvement as a hurdler and while it might be going against history to have consecutive winning four-year-olds — Zarak The Brave managed to win as a juvenile in 2023 — he has the touch of class required and should go very close. Ideally, though, the ground would be a little easier for him.

Another worth serious consideration is the Tom Mullins-trained Fascile Mode. Always quite highly tried, thus far he has struggled in graded company, but his most recent effort suggested he could now be ready to realise the potential he showed at the start of his career.

That he remains on 133 having given 13lbs and a comfortable beating to last year’s Galway Plate winner Ash Tree Meadow in a hurdle race on his most recent outing makes him an obvious player, particularly with conditions being ideal.

King’s Hill has quite a bit to find with Daddy Long Legs but is still unexposed, is better than the bare form of that Punchestown race and can go well at a decent price.

Jesse Evans has the most remarkable record in this race. He has been to this track three times, each to contest the Galway Hurdle. On the first occasion, in 2021 and running off a mark of 139, he was fourth, beaten two and a half lengths behind Saldier. On the second of those, in 2022, racing off a mark of 138, he finished second, beaten half a length, behind Tudor City, and last year, off a mark of 146, he was again runner-up, this time beaten a head by Zarak The Brave. He is now eight years old and running off a mark of 150, but another place in the frame would be no surprise whatsoever.

The nap goes to One Look, who can bounce back to winning ways in the Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies’ Stakes. Paddy Twomey’s filly looked like a potential star when winning the Goffs Million on her racing debut.

That was it for her juvenile season and in her two starts to date this season she has been a touch below par. However, she has been given time since her disappointing run in a Group 3 at Leopardstown in the middle of May, and her trainer has his team in good form. She hasn’t got the best of the draw but has a clear edge in terms of class and that can come through.

Princess Child, who is having just her second outing for Joseph O’Brien, is the most interesting of her rivals. Sure to step up on her stable debut, she can reach the frame.

GALWAY (Thursday)

Selections

2:10 What Path

2:45 Ashdale Bob

3:20 No More Porter

3:55 One Look (nap)

4:30 Koori Star

5:05 Nurburgring

5:40 Best Law (NB)

6:10 Vicar Street

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