264-1 GALWAY-GOODWOOD DOUBLE BID: Shamrock analyses the Galway races today and, as promised, tries for the luck of the Irish in a daily double across the cards at two festivals: today 6.8 at Galway and 40.0 at Goodwood at morning Betdaq offers.
5.05 Galway: Noel Meade kick-started the festival yesterday with a 9-1 novice-hurdle winner, so London Bridge has to be feared in a similar context.
Jessica Harrington has won this twice in the last four seasons, but Greenbelt Star was put in his place by Raggletagghlegypsy at Killarney.
Sulwaan let Princeton Plains form down yesterday, and I can’t worry about First In The Queue on form with Praxiteles. Sublime Talent has been readied for this on the Flat by Dermot Weld, the king of Ballybrit, but London Bridge was stronger in this morning’s market.
5.35 Galway: Tory Hill Lad was runner-up at 100-1 in this last year, and did well for his age to get back to form over hurdles recently.
Another runner here last year, Prince Erik, catches the eye as the Weld contender but his Galway form is 242F, including a heavy fall.
One-time hurdler of class, Muirhead turned out too quickly after jumping well over fences at Punchestown last October and was brought back for this target by a muscle warmer over hurdles recently.
6.10 Galway: Only one winner in the decade over six years of age, which cuts out nine of them. Dermot Weld is going for a hat-trick with a third four-year-old, Rainforest Magic, a potential improver for the trip, and his winner last year was a 12-1 shot.
6.45 and 7.45 Galway: Eight out of 11 in the 6.45 have gone to horses aged three and four, with only one winner higher than 9st 1lb., and no outright favourite.
No sign of Dermot Weld in the stats for the 7.45, with big-odds winners (only one favourite this century): only two have been older than five.
Now why have I put these two races together. The draw, of course. I warned you yesterday – anticipating the low stalls would win – to keep an eye on the results with subsequent races in mind.
Here they are, and yesterday’s 7f result went to the low draw all right: stall 4 beat 6 and 5 in that order. It means I’m looking to Stunning View and Defining Year in the 6.45 and taking a big hint from the booking of Johnny Murtagh for Iron Major in the 7.45.
7.15 Galway: An incredible four out of five, and six of the last 11, for Dermot Weld, and Mahaazen has the form to win this. The filly that beat her at Limerick has collateral lines to Group performers.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
NAP: Mahaazen (7.15 Galway)
NEXT BEST: London Bridge (5.05 Galway )
EACH-WAY: Muirhead (5.35 Galway), Rainforest Magic (6.10 Galway), Stunning View and Defining Year (6.45 Galway)
DAQ TRIO: London Bridge (5.05 Galway), Mahaazen (7.15 Galway), Iron Major (7.45 Galway)
GALWAY-GOODWOOD DOUBLE: Bikini Babe (2.00 Goodwood) and Muirhead (5.35 Galway)
