2023 Galway Races Tuesday Preview & Tips – DS
2023 Galway Races Tuesday Preview
To say Day 1 at Galway was a damp squib would be an understatement. My strategy of putting up horses that I hoped would handle testing conditions didn’t work and we came up empty handed. My fear for Tuesday is that the forecast is for a dry day so it could be tacky, holding ground. Not many horses enjoy those conditions so it is definitely a day for modest stakes. 2023 Galway Races Tuesday tips are below.
5.10 – Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle (Listed)
There is rain forecast for 5pm in Ballybrit so hopefully the showers loosen up the ground. It’ll be on the soft side either way and Absurde, second off 101 in the Copper Horse at Ascot (14f gd), is odds on. The big worry for his backers is the soft ground. Like Mystical Shadow yesterday, his class may see him through but he was well beat on the level his sole start on testing ground.
One horse who has winning form on soft ground is the filly Calico. Trained by Gordon Elliott, she won her maiden on soft at Tramore in April. It took a while for her to get off the mark but since that win, she has added another two races. She landed a Perth handicap off 114 (16f gd) and then a Ballinrobe Novice last week.
Calico already has Listed form in the book, finishing 2nd on good to soft at Aintree (17f gd/sft). On her six runs on soft she has yet to finish out of the first four whereas many of her rivals would definitely prefer summer jumping ground. At odds of 20/1, Calico is the e/w selection.
2023 Galway Races Tuesday Tips: Calico e/w @ 20/1 NAP
6.40 – Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap (Premier)
Ado McGuiness has won three of the last four renewals of this contest. He has seven of the seventeen runners so he’ll be hoping to make it four wins out of five. Cordouan and Current Option are the best drawn of his and they are probably his best chances.
At huge odds, the rain that has fallen is in Longseoir’s favour. We backed this horse at Galway last season when he ran a massive race to finish 3rd. He finished 1.25L behind Dunum in receipt of 4lbs and he is getting 20lbs from that rival this year. With soft ground firmly in Michael Grassick’s charge’s favour, I don’t think he should be 4x the price of that rival.
Solid Form
In April Longseoir was beat a neck off 80 at Leopardstown (7f hvy) by All Lies Ahead. That horse was in off 77 and he was narrowly beaten in a Cork Premier subsequently off 87. Longseoir flopped last time out on good ground at the Curragh in late May and he hasn’t been seen since.
With his jockey’s claim he is only 2lb higher than when winning at the Curragh last October and hopefully Grassick has him ready to go after his two month break. He’s a hold up horse so he’ll need a bit of luck coming around that home turn but if he gets it, Longseoir is capable of running a big race at odds of 40/1. The more rain that falls, the better.
2023 Galway Races Tuesday Tips: Longseoir e/w @ 40/1 (6 places)
7.50 – Caulfield Industrial Handicap (50-80)
If Ronan Whelan can get him to settle, Pinar Del Rio can outrun his odds here for Joe Conlon. Formerly trained by Paddy Twomey, he may well turn out to be a shrewd acquisition for current connections. He ran a huge race from 6lbs out of the handicap at the Curragh (6.5f hvy) last time (effectively off 80 with jockey’s claim) and he is 4lbs lower here.
He was only beaten 4.75L for the win in the Scurry, fading late on after making most. Previously at Limerick he ran a lovely race over 7f so this trip should be ok. The son of Havana Gold as yet to run a bad race on soft ground. His maiden win came on soft/heavy and his overall form figures on that type of ground read 1643.
The ground will be ideal for him at Galway and Ronan Whelan managed to get a great tune out of him the only time he rode previously, in a decent conditions race at Naas when he was a 2yo. Stall 11 isn’t a perfect draw but this well bred horse is related to plenty of winners and that last run proved he is capable of winning off his current rating. At odds of 25/1, Pinar Del Rio is worth chancing e/w.
2023 Galway Races Tuesday Tips: Pinar Del Rio e/w @ 25/1 NB (5 places)
8.20 – Caulfield Industrial Handicap (50-70)
I mentioned in yesterday’s preview that I rated Sligo as a good prep track for Galway. Roscommon isn’t quite as stiff but it has a long run in with an uphill finish so if a horse runs well there, it usually means they will handle Galway too.
Last season Coviglia ran a cracker at Roscommon, beaten a quarter of a length on soft/heavy over 7f. That came off 63 and three runs later he landed a Dundalk handicap off 61. He got a hefty 11lb hike to 72 for that win and that was it for the season.
The 9yo son of Invincible Spirit made his reappearance in a Bellewstown claimer three weeks ago. He was well beat but it wasn’t as bad a run as the distance beaten suggests. I’m hoping that this race has been the plan and the fact that Dylan Browne McMonagle is back on board suggests it might be. He’s a hold up sort so luck in running will be required but at 33/1, he’s worth a little interest e/w.
