2023 Galway Races Monday Preview & Tips – DS
2023 Galway Races Monday Preview
We are back in action on Monday and it is going to be a crazy week. Not only do we have the Galway Races, Glorious Goodwood starts on Tuesday too. Seven days of racing and we have already backed two horses ante-post. See them here. Check out Dave Stevos’ 2023 Galway Races Monday tips below.
5.10 – Novice Hurdle (4yo)
There was a substantial spill of rain on Sunday at Galway and there’s another 8.5mm possibly due today. Horses that are hoping for summer ground are going to be disappointed. The even money fav for the opening Novice Hurdle is Mystical Power for, surprise surprise, Willie Mullins and Mark Walsh.
By Galileo and out of Annie Power, he made a perfect start in a Ballinrobe bumper over a month ago. However, that was on genuine good ground so conditions are a complete unknown for him today. So, in the hope he doesn’t handle it, Gordon’s Aura is going to be our first e/w bet of the week.
We’ve already backed this son of Golden Horn this season. It was in the Boodles at Cheltenham (16.5f sft) and he ran a huge race off 122, finishing 7th of 21 just 5L behind the winner. His best two domestic hurdle runs have come at Fairyhouse, a right handed track just like Galway.
Locally bred jockey Danny Gilligan takes off a very valuable 7lbs and Gordon Elliott’s horses are in good form generally. His last run at Bellewstown (a left handed track) after a 56 day break has prep run written all over it and he has solid form on soft ground. Bottomless would be an unknown but at odds of 33/1, it is worth chancing that he goes on it. Gordon’s Aura is the e/w selection.
2023 Galway Races Monday Tips: Gordon’s Aura e/w @ 33/1 NB
5.40 – Easyfix Handicap Hurdle (80-109)
It looks to me like a lot of these horses want better ground so it would be no surprise to see a flurry of non-runners. Cullagh’s Star is a former heavy ground winner so he won’t be too worried about the weather and the 7yo has improved with each run since coming back from a year off.
Well beat by 29l on his return at Wexford (20f gd), it was a run he probably needed. Next time he did better, beat just 9L at Tipperary when dropped back to 16f (gd/yld). Then, last time at Killarney, he ran a cracker off 103, beat just 2.5L for the win by Solitary Man.
This son of Kalanisi was second off 110 in a novice handicap at Gowran (16f yld) in November 2021. His sole win came on heavy in a Wexford maiden (16f) so while most of his placed runs have come on good, softer ground should hold no fears. Simon Torrens knows him well, Seamus Fahey has a decent record at Galway and at 28/1, Cullaghs Star is worth backing e/w.
2023 Galway Races Monday Tips: Cullaghs Star e/w @ 28/1 (5 places)
6.40 – Connacht Hotel (QR) Handicap (70-100)
The one that is of interest at big odds in this staying handicap is Burren Song. Trained by Andy Slattery, this horse arrives here on the back of a trio of handicap wins followed by a decent third at the Curragh last time (14f gd). The wins came off 75, 78 and 84 and he was beat 0.75L last time out off 89.
With A P Ryan taking off 7lbs here the son of Battle Of Marengo will be effectively just 4lbs higher than when beating Taipan at Tipperary in April. His winning spree began when he was ridden more aggressively in his races and he has an ideal draw in stall no.6 to get into a prominent position early.
While this 5yo’s recent form is on good, yielding and the all-weather, he ran ok his sole start on heavy over an inadequate trip. The tongue tie is reapplied and while he has never won in one, he has form figures of 82433 wearing that equipment. Not bad.
Andy Slattery has a solid Galway record, 6/87 on the flat with 13 top 4s (and 3/30 over jumps). A.P Ryan is 5/46 with 23 top 4s over jumps for Slattery and he was third on this lad over 16f on the flat at Dundalk back in March. In what looks a pretty open race, back Burren Song e/w at 28/1.
2023 Galway Races Monday Tips: Burren Song e/w @ 28/1 (5 places) NAP
7.15 – Clayton Hotel 3yo Handicap (50-80)
Sligo form is often an excellent guide to horses that might run well at Galway. It has a similar sort of uphill finish, it is right handed and usually, there is an ease in the ground. Ciaran Murphy won this last season with Black Cat Bobby. He is triply represented here and the one I like is the biggest priced of the three, Little Keilee.
A Sioux Nation filly, she has run pretty poorly on two of her last three starts. At Fairyhouse (6f gd) and Dundalk (7f) she was well off the pace but in between, she ran a grand race off 72 at Limerick (7f yld) when beat just 3l into 4th. The assessor has now dropped her to 69.
That came at Sligo in April (5f sft/hvy) in a maiden. So, we know she ticks the right handed/testing track box and the heavy ground box is ticked also. All her best turf runs have come when there has been cut in the ground and Dylan Browne McMonagle gets a great tune out of her.
If I was Murphy I’d have had my eye on Galway for this filly as soon as she crossed the line at Sligo, hopefully he is of the same mindset. At 40/1, Little Keilee is worth a small interest e/w.
2023 Galway Races Monday Tips: Little Keilee e/w @ 40/1 (4 places)
7.50 – Eventus 3yo Handicap (60-90)
To be completely honest, I was going to swerve this race. It looks extremely tricky. The top two in the betting last night, Voice Of Reason and Booyea are not proven on bottomless ground. Immutable, trained by Joe Murphy, is next best in the betting and he will relish the conditions. I think he is most certainly the best value of those at the top of the market at around 13/2.
Astar is another one with form on heavy. Dermot Weld, at one time a banker to be top trainer at this meeting, trains this daughter of Sea the Stars. She has heavy ground course form in the book (split future G3 winner/G3 placed horses) and a repeat of that off a mark of just 78 would surely have her in the shake up at the very least.
Better Off At Weights
Pearl Of Australia beat her on good ground at Roscommon in May, conceding 5lbs. Today, Noel Meade’s charge is 2lbs better off at the weights so you could argue he is overpriced. However, unlike the Weld horse, Meade’s charge hasn’t got any form on heavy ground.
The son of Australia is related to a couple off soft ground winners and his sire Australia is 9/83 (with 12 places) with his progeny on heavy ground. To be honest, when I was studying this race last night Astar was my original selection at 12/1. She’s into just 6s though and the e/w value is gone. 28/1 about Pearl of Australia looks too big now and in the hope he handles the ground, I’ll have a small e/w bet.
