galway
This evening’s feature maybe under a new name but the carlton.ie/Galway City Amateur Handicap is still one of the highlights of the week and as competitive as ever.

It is certainly the highlight for the 17 amateur riders who have picked up a ride in the race and for Dermot Weld, who is looking for a third win on the trot in a race that he won himself as a jockey at just 15 years of age.



But this year’s renewal is a case where you have the master of Galway in Weld teaming up with one of the leading amateurs in the country, Robbie McNamara, for a race that Rosewell House have been so successful in and loves winning. However, with the ground the way it is, Weld’s sole representative Ghimaar will be the first of the Weld team to fall foul in unsuitable ground conditions.

Good ground and Ghimaar would be an easy selection — he ran at Royal Ascot and didn’t disgrace himself — but on the evidence we have so far, the testing conditions in the west this evening will mean he has it all to do to conquer Mother Nature.

For the simple reason of who he is trained by and the man’s record around here he can’t be left out of the frame, but it is a Galway Hurdle possibility in Truckers Delight who gets the nod to land the feature on the opening day.

Trained in Carlow by Shark Hanlon, like Dermot Weld he has one of the most valuable three-pound claims in the country courtesy of Brian O’Connell, whose exploits in two Grade One wins aboard Dunguib alone showed he has all the credentials of a top-class rider. Truckers Delight’s recent form says that he will be a force to be reckoned with both this evening and on Thursday if he makes it to the Guinness Galway Hurdle.

The eight-year-old has some very promising form lines and was an extremely impressive winner most recently at the Curragh on softening ground, while his last win prior to that came on soft ground at the Punchestown Festival, where he bolted up in a handicap hurdle.

Ground doesn’t seem to be an issue for the gelding who has won three of his four starts for Hanlon, and this evening he may just be capable of recording the most prestigious yet.

Jessica Harrington appears to have a strong hand in the race and jockey bookings would suggest Dreamy Gent to be her more fancied contender, although Zarinava ran a blinder against Grade One-winning Jumbo Rio just over a week ago.

It is, of course, an interesting renewal where Streets Of Gold could run a good race if running up to his very best, and leave Willie and Patrick Mullins out of a big race like this at your peril.

Dermot Weld and his team have four serious chances throughout the day, if not five, but three of which stand out, beginning in the opening race of the day, the ghotel.ie & hotelmeyrick.ie Novice Hurdle.

Gratified has form to find with some of his rivals here, but where else can we expect a Dermot Weld horse to reverse form than at Galway, and this son of Sadler’s Wells ran a good race last time in the Ladies’ Derby at the Curragh to suggest he will be spot on for this evening’s assignment.

Gratified will have it most to do to finish in front of Black Coffee, who heads a strong Jessica Harrington assault on Galway this evening, but in the hands of Denis O’Regan, Gratified is given a tentative vote to show enough improvement to take the opening honours of the festival.

conditions

There will be many Weld hot-pots throughout the week and the first of those is set to be Stunning View in the radissonhotelgalway.com two-year-olds’ maiden.

The colt made his debut at the Curragh where he finished second on soft ground, so conditions shouldn’t be an issue, and he can surely get Pat Smullen — 1/5 favourite to be leading flat rider — off to a great start.

Banyan Tree is another who should be handling the ground and he can be next best, while Maverick Man can fill the places should all eight stand their ground.

The third Dermot Weld selection of the day comes in the finale as New Rules looks set to eventually make his racecourse debut.

The dogs on the street know how highly regarded this son of Definite Article is.

He was taken out at Punchestown due to heavy ground, and then at Cork on firm ground, so he has been well minded and, although tonight’s ground by the last race won’t be ideal, he should have enough class to land the spoils for Robbie McNamara.

A Willie Mullins newcomer warrants any amount of respect so market support for him should be noted with interest, while Chip Tea proved last time out that he will handle tonight’s testing conditions.

It may not be too often that we go against a short-priced Weld horse this week, but Tracey Collins could be responsible for denying her fellow Curragh-based trainer in the hotelmeyrick.ie & ghotel.ie Handicap over 12-furlongs, thanks to LocH Long.

A step up in trip should be a big advantage for the son of Galileo who did line up and finish eighth in the Irish Derby before winning at Ballinrobe last week, and he would appear to have ability to make it two on the bounce on this occasion.

I would suggest it was a rare occurrence to see a Derby participant feature at Galway within weeks of the Curragh showpiece.

Elsewhere on the card and No One Tells Me has that vital credential of handling the ground and, in fairness to Jessica Harrington’s four-year-old, she was a good winner of a decent contest at the Punchestown Festival last April.

Despite being off since then, she appears well enough treated by the handicapper to score on this occasion.

Chris Hayes was in the saddle to land the day-two feature 12-months ago and the Limerick rider could be on the scoresheet tonight with Ain Jalout, who he rides in the claregalway.ie Hotel Handicap for Maurice Phelan.

Seventh last time, it may have just all happened a bit quick on good ground for Ain Jalout on that occasion and a return to an ease in conditions may just be the tonic to see him return to winning ways.

Cronin’s Choice

5.10 ghotel & hotelmeyrick.ie Novice Hurdle

1. Gratified

2. Black Coffee

3. Honour The World

5.45 galwaybayhotel.com Handicap Hurdle

1. No One Tells Me

2. Jewel Of The West

3. Spiderback

4. Lady Hillingdon

6.20 radissonhotelgalway.com EBF Maiden

1. Stunning View

2. Banyan Tree

3. Maverick Man

7.00 carlton.ie/galwaycity Amateur Handicap

1. Truckers Delight

2. Ghimaar

3. Zarinava

4. Streets Of Gold

7.35 claregalwayhotel.ie Hotel Handicap

1. Ain Jalout

2. Spavento

3. Haunting Melody

8.10 hotelmeyrick.ie & ghotel.ie Handicap

1. Loch Long

2. Art Broker

3. Penthesilea Eile

8.40 irelandhotels.com Flat Race

1. New Rules

2. Chip Tea

3. Hayabusa

- Niall Cronin
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