SHAMROCK NAPS 5-1 GALWAY PLATE WINNER: Shamrock, who tipped 7-1 (twice) and 5-1 winners at Galway on Tuesday, was adamant that Blazing Tempo (WON 5-1) would win yesterday’s big race of the festival, the Galway Plate. ‘I’m tipping Tempo for the very top,’ he declared in his race-by-race analysis.
CHOICE 9-1 DOUBLE UP: Shamrock’s next best, Galileo’s Choice (WON 4-6), also won at the Ballybrit track for a 9-1 double with the nap.
1.50 Galway: Horses aged 7 and 8 have won seven out of the last eight, which suggests that several front-runners in the market are potential lays.
Mr Nosie certainly looks flattered as paper second-favourite as a 10-year-old in a beginners’ chase, even though he ran up to Sweeps Hill at Punchestown. I’m expecting massive improvement from Daffern Seal.
2.25 Galway: This was always Edward O’Grady’s race – he’s won it twice more this century so far – and has two tries today: of the pair, I prefer Slieveardagh (10.0 this morning).
I was very impressed visually with Black Jack Blues, who looks a formidable English raider but I’m taking Tony McCoy’s tip: he’s switched from ‘Black Jack’, on whom he rode a double, to go banco on Jessica Harrington’s Alpine Eagle.
3.00 Galway: This former three-year-old handicap has seemed very tricky to decipher since it became open to all in 2006, with 10-1, 12-1 and 20-1 winners in the last four seasons.
Yet the clue was staring back at punters through the big end of their binoculars: no fewer than four times in five years, the winner had raced earlier in festival week. So I’ve got two words to say to you: Ted Dolly. Heh, 8.2 on Betdaq! I’ll have some of that.
Dermot Weld’s Rock Critic is obviously a big worry and goes well fresh but, at 3.85, has to be only a saver, since the handicapper has shown him no mercy for winning here at last year’s festival.
3.35 Galway: This is the first time on today’s card I’ve see Mr Weld – a hat-trick yesterday – score in the past-results list. If it’s not normally his best day, the unexposed Anam Alta can change all that.
4.50 (Galway Hurdle): Last year’s second and third, Bahrain Storm and Dirar, reappear. So does the 2009 runner-up, Deutschland, who was second that year to Bahrain Storm, who unseated yesterday but will probably try for a hat-trick of placed efforts (54.0 the win this morning).
If he doesn’t, the weights go up. So I’m a bit blind as the sun comes up over the Needle. More controversy: The Real Article after that hands-and-heels-only narrow defeat by Captain Cee Bee at Tipperary. He looks thrown in but I have a feeling its deceptive.
Dirar’s clearly been kept fresh for this but 9.2 is a bit short. The same applies to the Weld runner, Hidden Universe, and my feeling here is that he needs rain.
Street Entertainer (19.5 this morning) fluffed his lines at Market Rasen but the Punchestown winner will be well suited to this much stiffer track. Silverhand (22.0) is Listed level on the Flat and – though dropped back in trip – the fast pace will suit a long late run.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
NAP: Daffern Seal (1.50 Galway)
NEXT BEST: Alpine Eagle (2.25 Galway)
LAY: Mr Nosie (1.50 Galway)
OUTSIDERS: Slieveardagh (2.25 Galway), Street Entertainer and Silverhand (4.50 Galway)
DAQ TRIO: Daffern Seal (1.50 Galway), Alpine Eagle (2.25 Galway), Anam Alta (3.35 Galway)
GALWAY-GOODWOOD DOUBLE: Ted Dolly (3.00 Galway) and Kingsgate Native (2.45 Goodwood)
