2022 Galway Races Thursday Preview and Tips – DS
2022 Galway Races Thursday Preview and Tips
Wednesday was a bit of a disaster bar Allihies. He nicked place money at 25s but neither Scheu Time nor Diamondinthemud tried a yard. Exelerator Express was unluckily brought down by a faller. Guild got trapped on the inner and of course, the other horse I mentioned Scenic Look won at 33s! Hopefully we get a bit more luck on Day 4. 2022 Galway Races Thursday tips are below.
3.20 – Rockshore Handicap (0-90)
She’s drawn 19 which obviously isn’t ideal but if she can rediscover her mojo now dropped back in trip, Miss Myers is extremely well handicapped. Trained by Michael Grassick, this 5yo daughter of Zoffany is in off 78 here. Almost exactly a year ago she won off 85 at Sligo, a track with very similar characteristics to Galway. That win came over 10f on yielding but she is effective on better ground too.
Her two runs this term have come over 12f and 10f on soft/heavy ground but those trips stretch her when it is testing. She is a hold up horse so her wide draw is not a disaster and she ran a huge race on her sole previous visit to Galway.
In 2020 she ran 4th behind Champers Elysees in a Listed race over 7f and if she repeated that, she’d win this doing handstands off 78. Hopefully the blinkers sharpen her up from the gates and Robbie Colgan can engineer a clear passage. If he does, Miss Myers is more than capable of hitting the frame at odds of 40/1.
2022 Galway Races Thursday Tip: Miss Myers e/w @ 40/1 (5 places)
3.55 – Corrib Fillies’ Stakes (Listed)
Emilie Gray is the one that I like in this Listed contest. Trained by Dermot Weld, this daughter of Dubawi should be well up to nicking some more black type in this Listed heat. She has been highly tried this season, running in a pair of G3s at the Curragh. She was only beat 3.25L into 4th over 7f in the second one, finishing 2.75L behind the re-opposing Sh Boom who was in 2nd.
Emilie Gray was doing her best work at the finish in that heat and she headed to Germany for a Listed race next time. In that mile race she just failed to reel in the leader who kicked off the front off a slow pace and she should be able to go closer on this stiffer track with a more honest pace likely. Last time out she was a no show under a 10lb claimer in a handicap after blowing the start but Chris Hayes is back on board now. At odds of 16/1, Emilie Gray is the e/w pick.
2022 Galway Races Thursday Tip: Emilie Gray e/w @ 16/1 (4 places B365) NAP
4.30 – Novice Hurdle (4yo+)
Surely Another Choice is a shade overpriced at 14/1 in this Novice Hurdle. Mattie Smith already did us a favour this week with Flaming Moon and he has booked Bryan Cooper again for the ride. This horse is a very promising sort and he has yet to run a bad race after five starts. Two wins, two 2nds and a 3rd show how consistent he is and he broke his duck over hurdles at Downpatrick two weeks ago.
Previously on his seasonal return and hurdling debut he chased Salvador Ziggy home at Punchestown (19.5f gd). The winner had the benefit of a couple of previous hurdle runs so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Smith’s charge can close the 1.25L gap that separated them. Obviously, Hors Piste has much stronger form at a higher level than Another Choice and Falcon Eight has shown plenty of ability in both codes. I think there could yet be a fair bit more to come from Smith’s horse though and at 14/1, he is the each way selection.
2022 Galway Races Thursday Tip: Another Choice e/w @ 14/1
5.05 – Galway Hurdle (Grade A)
The big one on Thursday is the Galway Hurdle. A prize fund of £270k means this race is always very hotly contested and this year is no different. The top weight, Ballyadam, has won a Grade 1 over timber and that illustrates the calibre of horse this race attracts. Two trainers have shared seven of the last eight renewals. Willie Mullins has won four since 2016 and Tony Martin has won it three times since 2014.
Mullins runs four this year and stable jockey Paul Townend is on the fav, Adamantly Chosen. He shaped well when 4th off 136 at Punchestown last time and off just 1lb higher, he holds obvious claims. However, Tony Martin has had a pretty good season after a spell in the doldrums and course specialist Tudor City is the one I’ll be backing at 20/1.
Solid Race Record
He won this in 2019 off a mark of 139. In 2020 he was badly handicapped (147) but he still ran a very nice race to finish 7th, 10L behind Aramon. Last year he came back for another go and off 139 he ran another super race, beat just 4.75L. This year he races off a mark of 136 and Liam McKenna takes off 7lbs. He is effectively in off just 129, 1lb higher than when he won a handicap hurdle at Punchestown in May. That win earned him his place in this race and a spin on the flat at the Curragh should have him spot on. At odds of 20/1, Tudor City is worth backing each way.
2022 Galway Races Thursday Tip: Tudor City e/w @ 20/1 (6 Places) NB
5.40 – Guinness 12f Handicap (50-70)
There looks to be at least half a dozen potential plots in this race. Party Moon drops into 50-70 company for the first time but even I can’t make a case for him on recent form. Observing looked like he didn’t want to win last time and the booking of Billy Lee looks very significant. Magnetic North is another one that looks like he might have been campaigned with this race in mind.
However, even though Chavajod ran an absolute stinker for him earlier this week, maybe King Arthur’s Sword can bounce back to form on just his second handicap start. He hadn’t showed much at all over hurdles or on the flat in the last two years but the 5yo definitely showed a modicum of ability on his penultimate outing over 9.5f at Gowran.
Reined Back
In that race Leigh Roche reined him back after a decent break and he sat on the rail. Turning for home he was still travelling okay and he made a nice bit of ground up in the closing stages to grab 5th. Roche wasn’t that hard on him and he finished just 0.5L behind Flash Of Dawn, to whom he was conceding 12lbs. A poor run on handicap debut enabled him to get into this race and he is 3lbs better off with the Bolger horse who is 10/1. King Arthurs Sword is 40s and while he has a crap draw, hopefully he can stay on late for place money.
2022 Galway Races Thursday Tip: King Arthurs Sword e/w @ 40/1 (5 places)
