2022 Galway Races Wednesday Preview and Tips – DS
2022 Galway Races Wednesday Preview and Tips
Thank God for Galway. We did a lot better there than we did at Goodwood. Flaming Moon got us off to the perfect start, winning at 11s (advised 16s). Unfortunately, the ground went too quick for Finans Bay and there was no plot for O’Callaghan’s horse. At least Turbine landed us place money in the last at 25s. We go again on Day 2, check out Dave’s 2022 Galway Races Wednesday tips below.
5.40 – Handicap Hurdle (0-123)
Off a mark of 120 and with Gavin Brouder claiming 5lbs, Scheu Time could go well here. James Nash trains this son of Arakan and he is a former course winner over shorter. The 9yo has never won over this far but he showed at Cheltenham earlier this season that he has the stamina. In that 3 mile Listed Hurdle back in November Scheu Time ran a massive race off 127. He finished 4th, just 5L behind the classy winner Sporting John. He won off a mark of 146 and he is now rated 155 after another win at Warwick.
Kansas City Chief was a neck ahead of Scheu Time in 3rd off 125 and he has won twice since and is now rated 134. Since that race, Nash’s charge has run four poor races, three of them chases. He had a three month break between his last two runs and he was beaten when falling at the third last at Market Rasen last time. That should have sharpened him up and this will be his first start over hurdles on decent ground since Cheltenham. There is nothing as talented as Sporting John in this race and at odds of 40/1, hopefully Scheu Time is trying and if he is, he should run a big race.
2022 Galway Races Wednesday Tip: Scheu Time e/w @ 40/1 (5 places ) nb
6.10 – EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle (0-135)
An extremely tricky puzzle to try and solve. Nigel Slevin is a trainer who has his horses in good form and he runs Diamondinthemud here. This 6yo daughter of Getaway comes here in great shape. She has run very well on three of her last four starts and she deservedly shed her maiden tag last time out at Downpatrick (19f gd/yld). She now makes her handicap debut off 104 and with Kieran Callaghan claiming 7lbs, she effectively runs off 97.
On her last start on good ground over today’s distance she ran a lovely race at Punchestown. She finished 2nd, 3.25L behind Frontline Worker who re-opposes here. With her jockey’s claim, she is now 11lbs better off. Back in 3rd in that maiden was Listentillitellya and she was beat a nose off 106 here on Monday. Slevin’s mare also ran well in a Sligo bumper last year, a decent trial track for Galway. With Slevin firing in 2 winners from his last 4 runners, hopefully Diamondinthemud can run into the frame.
2022 Galway Races Wednesday Tip: Diamondinthemud e/w @ 25/1 (5 places)
6.40 – Galway Plate (Grade A)
Neil Mulholland has had two previous runners in Galway and one of them finished 2nd. He sends Exelerator Express across the pond for the big one. I think he looks a massive price at odds of 33/1. We backed this horse earlier this season and he ran well in 5th to land place money at Aintree (25f gd/sft). He was well behind the winner but it was his first run of the year on ground plenty soft for him and he most likely needed it.
He made no mistake on his next outing over the same C&D, beating Indy Five by a head off 142. Mulholland’s charge then finished a length behind Minella Trump off 147 at Perth and he pitches up here off a mark of 145. This horse stays 3 miles, which is a plus on a stiff track like this. His last start at 21f came in the Summer Plate last season at Market Rasen. He ran a blinder to finish 2nd behind Francky Du Berlais. That track is far sharper than Galway and this should be a sufficient stamina test for him.
Sam Twiston-Davies has travelled over for the ride and that has to be a positive. He was on board Milkwood in the Galway Hurdle for Mulholland last year and they finished an excellent 2nd. The cheekpieces will hopefully help him jump more fluently and if he is within touching distance when they jump the last, hopefully he can finish off well and run into the places. At 33/1, Exelerator Express is the e/w pick.
2022 Galway Races Wednesday Tip: Exelerator Express e/w @ 33/1 (6 places)
7.50 – 8.5f 3yo Handicap (0-95)
Kevin Coleman is a coming trainer and he has Allihies in this 8.5f handicap. This son of Anjaal ran an eye-catching race last time at Killarney and on that evidence, this stiffer test will suit. This horse’s sole win came on debut at Limerick last season when he hacked up at 50/1 in a heavy ground 7f maiden. He was outclassed in a G3 next time and he has taken a while to reach peak fitness this term.
He started off in handicaps off a pretty stiff looking mark of 88. Two below par runs at Gowran and Roscommon saw the assessor drop him to 86 and he definitely showed he could be competitive off that mark in Kerry. The winner of that race was Cowboy Justice and he ran a cracker to be beat just 2L in the big race on Tuesday off 93. Allihies was 4L behind him off level weights, so surely he has to have e/w claims here off 84. At odds of 25/1, he is well worth backing e/w.
2022 Galway Races Wednesday Tip: Allihies e/w @ 25/1 (4 places) nap
8.20 – 16.5F Flat Handicap (50-80)
If Guild can repeat the form he showed on his last handicap start at Navan, he’ll outrun his odds of 50/1. This entire son of Frankel last won at Dundalk in October off a mark of 62. He beat Nibiru, then rated 71 and he is now rated 81 after winning at Fairyhouse earlier this month. Guild wasn’t beaten all that far the next twice off his revised mark of 69 but he did run poorly after a 100 day break over 16f at Dundalk in February.
He made his return to the turf in April at Navan (13f gd) and he finished very nicely for 6th off 67, beat just over 5L. Comer stepped him back up to 16f next time but crazily, it was in a German G2 and he unsurprisingly finished well beaten. This race is a lot more suitable and the more the ground dries out, the better. Scenic Look is another interesting one but he has been well backed already. He should go well at 14s but at 50s, Guild is a speculative e/w selection.
2022 Galway Races Wednesday Tip: Guild e/w @ 50/1 (5 places)
