Congratulations are in order for Dungarvan trainer John Kiely who saddled Indian Pace to win last Thursday’s coveted Guinness Galway Hurdle.
Indian Pace, sent off a well-supported 7/1 shot, was produced with impeccable timing by talented teenager Paul Townend to lead on the run-in with the Indian Ridge-sired gelding ultimately dismissing Eagle’s Pass by a length in the colours of the Lawless By Nature Syndicate.
Tipp Thursday
Following last week’s hugely successful Galway festival, the racing season returns to normal on Thursday evening with meetings pencilled in for Tipperary and Sligo.
At Tipperary (5.30 pm start), Shot Of The Day stands out in the Hideout Pub Sologhead Handicap Hurdle.
Shot Of The Day, trained by Francis Flood for champion owner JP McManus, has won his two most recent starts and indeed he was particularly impressive when accounting for Monahullan Prince by three lengths in a two and a half mile handicap hurdle at Roscommon on July 7th. Now rated 105 as opposed to 81 when he landed a Tralee handicap hurdle in late-May, Shot Of The Day looks set to continue in a winning vein here at the expense of Sebadee.
Brutto Facie appeals as the most likely winner of the Pride Of Tipperary Hurdle. The Michael O’Brien-trained Brutto Facie posted a most noteworthy effort by chasing home all-the-way winner Schindler’s Gold on his most recent start in a two-mile conditions hurdle at Fairyhouse in mid-July. Brutto Facie need only show marginal improvement to account for the long-absent Absolute Image here.
It could pay to row in behind Flash McGahon in the Super Sunday on 5th October Handicap. This John Oxx-trained four-year-old ran his best race for quite some time by finishing fourth to Dimenticata in a six-furlong listed race at Tipperary on July 20th.
The form of that event then received a boost when the third-placed filly Elletelle, a Royal Ascot winner last year, then went on to capture a listed six-furlong fillies race at The Curragh on July 27th. Taking all of this into consideration, the probability is that Flash McGahon should have most to fear from the hat-trick seeking Capall An Ibre.
Gan Amhras is put forward to continue Jim Bolger’s excellent season by disposing of Hail Caesar in the Coolmore Hurricane Run Stakes, a listed race for two-year-olds’, whilst Marquesa is marginally preferred to Silver Shoon in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Maiden.
Sligo
At Sligo, Glenquin Castle should put his previous use of this Cleveragh venue to good use by landing the featured Martin Reilly BMW Dealer Novice Hurdle.
Glenquin Castle was only beaten three parts of a length into second spot by Karlu when contesting a two-mile novice hurdle at Sligo on July 13th. It may well happen that Glenquin Castle will have considerably more on his plate here, but Andrew McNamara’s charge appears a genuinely-improving type that’s selected to account for the locally Sligo-trained Ilikeyou.
Motafaany is a most interesting proposition in the John Perry Race over 10 furlongs. On his one and only career outing to date, Motafaany wasn’t found wanting when triumphing in a 10-furlong maiden at Navan on June 6th. The step up in trip of two furlongs is unlikely to pose too many difficulties for Motafanny and Kevin Prendergast’s representative should have most to fear from Kitty Hawk Miss.