Thread Of Gold can continue Mullins' fine Galway week
Thread Of Gold and Wayne Lordan win for trainer Willie Mullins. Pic: Healy Racing
The Guinness Handicap is the headline act on day five of the Galway festival and the lightly-raced Thread Of Gold can continue a fine week for Willie Mullins by landing the spoils in the hands of Billy Lee.
Victorious on debut over seven furlongs at the Curragh last year, the son of Ghaiyyath found Group 3 company beyond him on his second run, his final start as a two-year-old.
A close third at Listowel on his seasonal reappearance, Thread Of Gold made a winning start to life in handicap company when scoring over nine furlongs at Leopardstown earlier this month.
In doing so, he gave the impression that he might be even better over further, a theory that will be put to the test in this ultra-competitive 12-furlong assignment. If he stays, he will surely go close.
Mullins can also provide the answer in the earlier Guinness Beginners Chase where Vicar Street can score for Harry Cobden.
A son of Galileo and Vroum Vroum Mag, he disappointed when sent off the 4-9 favourite on debut in a bumper at this meeting two years ago before making a winning start over hurdles in a Roscommon maiden last summer, a win that set up him for a crack at Ballybrit redemption later in the month. However, he found one too good, going down to Sticktotheplan.
After a lengthy lay-off, Vicar Street was sent chasing at Punchestown last month, fading late on to finish third having run too freely on his first crack over an extended trip.
Dropping back a couple of furlongs should aid his cause here and he is fancied to make it third time lucky at this meeting.
Joseph O’Brien might also bag a double by winning the first and last contest on the eight-race card.
Otherworldly has decent prospects in the James's Gate Irish EBF Median Auction Maiden.
Second on debut at the Curragh in May, the Persian King colt found Group 3 company beyond him last time out, finishing sixth of seven.
However, that experience should stand to him in these calmer waters and he ought to go close.
Stablemate Uxmal should be hard to beat in the finale, the Rockshore Refreshingly Irish Race.
Victorious at Royal Ascot in 2024, the seven-year-old is lightly-raced for his age but showed he retains plenty of ability when third in a listed contest at Limerick last month. That, his first run for eight months, should have left him spot-on for this assignment.
The Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase looks a fiendishly difficult puzzle to solve but, having got off the mark over fences in decisive fashion at Roscommon last month, the Eric McNamara-trained Hermino AA has decent each-way claims.
5.00 Otherworldly (NB)
5.30 Vicar Street (Nap)
6.00 Hermino AA
6.35 Thread Of Gold
7.10 Cosmetic
7.40 Aquilla Star
8.10 Vantage Code
8.40 Uxmal
5.00 Joga Bonito
5.30 Ballystone
6.00 A Law Of Her Own
6.35 Fixation
7.10 Zadawa
7.40 Snaafy
8.10 Lady Plimsoll
8.40 Galileo Dame
