You can now bet into Tote pools at all British and Irish meetings and what better way to herald in the Galway Festival than by landing a Placepot on the first day. Here is our suggested perm and you can Get a £10 risk-free bet, money back as cash with the Tote
The Placepot is a great way to have an interest in the first six races on a card and be in with a chance of landing a big winning dividend. So check out the horse we reckon you should be including in your perm for the first leg of the Galway Festival
Leg 1 (4.10 Galway, 7f maiden)
It may seem odd to put a banker in place in the first leg of a placepot but that’s what we’re going to do with Wembley (No.10). Aidan O’Brien’s runner has already shown more than enough in two maidens to suggest he will at least finish placed here.
Will clearly not be one of Ballydoyle’s stars but not up against any potential superstars here and a confident selection to at least fill the frame.
Leg 1 Selection: Wembley (No.10)
Leg 2 (4.40 Galway, 7f handicap)
A tricky three-year-old handicap so more on than one selection is definitely needed this time.
So we’ll start with Elite Legion (No.1) who looked a horse to follow when winning a maiden for Jessica Harrington last season. Was bogged down on heavy ground on his final start so the return to better ground should suit and he should run well for an in-form team of Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley.
We’ll also include Galway maestro Dermot Weld’s Thaleeq(No.6) who makes his first start in a handicap after a couple of decent runs this season. Has showed enough to suggest he should be competitive off a mark of 76 and first-time cheekpieces should sharpen him up.
Leg 2 selections: Elite Legion (No.1) and Thaleeq (No.6)
Leg 3 (5.15 Galway, 7f handicap)
There is not much point in throwing every favourite in every leg in a placepot as the dividend is not worth winning, so we’re going to go for a potential boilover in this leg with a couple of outsiders.
The first is Emphatic (No.9) who loves this course and ran two crackers to finish runner-up twice at last season’s Galway Festival. He’s now racing off 1lb lower than those marks and may have been saved for this. He’s a big price.
The other is Visionara (No.4) who is having his first start for Amanda Mooney after leaving the yard of Simon Crisford in Britain. Visionara was placed in some decent handicaps on the all-weather and it will be interesting to see how he fares on turf for his first start on that surface for more than a year.
Leg 3 selections: Visionara (No.4) and Emphatic (No.9)
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Leg 4 (5.45 Galway, 7f handicap)
Another 7f handicap to get stuck into and this time the favourite The Mpex Kid (No.7) looks solid after his reappearance victory over this trip at Fairyhouse for trainer Dot Love. He must be included and should again run well.
Qaabil (No.11) is also worthy of inclusion as he caught the eye, not for the first time, when staying on strongly from well off the pace over this trip last time. First-time cheekpieces are a good sign and he’s been sent off at prices of 20/1, 50/1 and 40/1 on his first three starts for Peter Fahey. He’s forecast to go off in single figures here.
Leg 4 selections: The Mpex Kid (No.7) and Qaabil (No.11)
Leg 5 (6.15 Galway, 1m4f handicap)
A middle-distance handicap is up next and the race looks so wide-open that it might be worth going with three selections.
Any more money for Wajaaha (No.5) would be interesting as he represents the shrewd Charles Byrnes. A winner two starts ago, he is still capable of winning of this mark.
Tony Martin has booked top jockey Colin Keane for the ride on Share The Honour (No.10) who looked tailor-made for a handicap at Galway when finishing third off this trip last time. Keane replaces an inexperienced 7lb claimer, which is a pointer to his chances.
Globe Theatre (No.12) represents Joseph O’Brien and could still have potential to improve over this trip having never raced over further than 1m2f in his six career starts. Shane Crosse takes a valuable 3lb off.
Leg 5 selections: Wajaaha (No.5), Share the Honour (No.10) and Globe Theatre (No.12)
Leg 6 (6.45 Galway, 2m handicap)
Some big trainers, including Willie Mullins, Noel Meade, Joseph O’Brien and Dermot Weld are represented here and Mullins’ Sharjah (No.4) must go in the final leg of the bet.
He’s a Grade 1 winner over hurdles and finished second behind Epatante in the Champion Hurdle in March. He also ran well on the Flat at the Curragh a month ago, which should have put him spot-on for this assignment.
There hasn’t been a more impressive winner than Princess Zoe (No. 17) in Ireland in the last couple of weeks and this grey mare must be included as she is clearly in a rich vein of form.
**Leg 6 selections: Sharjah (No.4) and Princess Zoe (No. 17)
PLACEPOT PERM
Leg 1: 10
Leg 2: 1, 6
Leg 3: 4, 9
Leg 4: 7, 11
Leg 5: 5, 10, 12
Leg 6: 4, 17
Total: 48 bets
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