The highlight of the summer jumps comes at Galway on Wednesday with the 2024 running of the Galway Plate. Won by future Grade 1 winners Road To Riches, Balko Des Flos and Hewick in the last decade, it has a good recent history of producing useful horses, and Joe Napier previews this year’s renewal below.
A great battle ensued between Ireland’s training powerhouses in 2023 as Gordon Elliott’s Ash Tree Meadow held off Willie Mullins’ Authorized Art. Both take part again this season.
PERCEVAL LEGALLOIS
(Gavin Cromwell/Mark Walsh)
JP McManus last won this in 2020 and boasts a strong hand this season. Perceval Legallois has only had five starts over fences so far, but is brimming with a fair amount of potential, as evidenced when he was well backed at the Punchestown Festival.
He had endured a tough season, winning on debut, but then falling twice and finishing tailed off in Group 1 company in between. However, he was wll-found back in May when runner-up in a Listed novices’ handicap. Cromwell brought a few of his novices along slowly last season for McManus and it is eminently possible that more is to come from this boy.
IN EXCELSIS DEO
(Harry Fry/Jonathan Burke)
15 of the 22 represent Mullins, Elliott and Henry De Bromhead here, leaving very little space for intruders. Harry Fry is therefore the only British trainer represented in this year’s lineup and is looking to be the first away raider to win this race since 2008.
In Excelsis Deo regularly promised more last season, finishing a remarkable fifth at the Cheltenham Festival from a different parish after three close calls in handicaps prior. He did eventually get his head in front on good ground at Cheltenham’s April meeting, which speaks positively to his chances under these conditions even though the Irish handicapper has not treated him lightly.
LETS GO CHAMP
(Henry De Bromhead/Rachael Blackmore)
Another who bubbled under as a novice for much of 2023/24, Lets Go Champ’s big day was timed to perfection when winning a Grade 3 handicap at Punchestown in May. Having been prominent throughout, he readily held off his opposition by 2½ lengths.
The 9lb penalty dished out to him may prove slightly steep, but this is a very logical next step for him, with good ground suiting and him seemingly having little issue stepping up in trip closer to 3m. He is a full brother to the Graded winning mare Scarlet And Dove, whose optimum conditions would be similar to this race, and De Bromhead has twice trained the winner since 2015.
MISTER POLICEMAN
(Willie Mullins/Paul Townend)
Proof that not all talking horses match their reputations straight away, Mister Policeman emerged as an Arkle contender early last season, to much fanfare. However, he never looked entirely comfortable at a bare 2m, and though he won two of his three races over fences at that distance, his Grade 3 success in March came over 2m2f.
He now comes here on a retrieval mission though, after he was pulled up at the Punchestown Festival. His jumping was not the cleanest although that would not go far enough as an excuse, and there is a legitimate concern that quicker ground is not ideal. Conversely, this longer trip is of interest for him.
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THE FIELD
Ash Tree Meadow was closer to bottom-weight in this in 2023 and now finds himself conceding weight all-round. He did win a Grade 3 at Killarney in may, but this looks a step task off 15lb higher, while runner-up Authorized Art is also 7lb higher in the handicap.
Elliott is mob-handed with former top class hurdler Zanahiyr potentially the pick off a mark of 145. However, his form over larger obstacles has not eben as strong, and strong stayer Chemical Energy may be a flyer for Cullentra at big odds, going well fresh and on a potentially dangerous rating.
Duffle Coat and Hurricane Georgie look up against it on the other hand, while for Mullins, Mister Policeman is supported by Saint Roi, a Grade 1 winner at 2m, but who seems to have been crying out for a step up in distance for a while. He could be well involved with Aidan Kelly’s 5lb claim factored in.
Amirite is now a staple of decent handicaps, though it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to win one. Pinkerton is new to this scene but has stamina to prove after his win at Punchestown, while French Dynamite and Janidil are former Grade 1 stalwarts who have fallen dramatically in the weights and may soon be dangerous in this sphere.
VERDICT
Despite not going beyond 2m2f last season, SAINT ROI appears to have needed this sort of distance for a while. He went down by just a short head at Punchestown over the minimum jumps trip, but that owes more to his ability, and a 4lb rise coupled with this long-awaited step up in trip can bring out the best in him with Aidan Kelly’s 5lb claim a useful benefit. Lets Go Champ is feared most with this a logical stepping stone after his own Punchestown success, while Chemical Energy is poised to outrun his odds.
- Saint Roi
- Lets Go Champ
- Chemical Energy
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