Irish Preview: 2018 Galway Festival

Declan McDonagh

Though he wishes it wasn’t in such circumstances, Declan McDonagh will be the focus of lots of camera lenses at the 2018 Galway Festival.

Due to the absence of Pat Smullen, who is currently battling pancreatic cancer, McDonagh will ride the majority of Dermot Weld’s horses. Weld has dominated at the meeting over the past three decades, including a record 17 winners in 2014, and is expected to have a much better festival than last year, when the yard’s horses were suffering from a virus.

Weld has never targeted one type of contest at the 52-race meeting, instead laying siege to races of all type, including various maidens.

Third World looks one to back on the first day, the two-year-old having shaped with plenty of encouragement when five and a quarter lengths fourth to Guaranteed on his debut at the Curragh. Weld knows the family well, having trained his dam Sense of Purpose, including to a win over a mile as a juvenile.

And McDonagh, who will be hoping he can usurp last year’s leading Galway Festival jockey Billy Lee, is far from worried about any added pressure, as he told the Irish Times: “I’m riding for a great man who knows about race-riding. That helps.”

Willie Mullins

Perennial Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins was the man who took advantage of Weld’s figurative absence last season, recording the same number of winners (12) as times that he has been top trainer in Ireland.

Given the firepower at Mullins’ disposal, it’s no great surprise that he appears to now be targeting a wider breadth of Flat races and meetings, as shown in recent weeks when the well-backed Stratum proved himself to be a long way ahead of his mark in the inaugural JLT Cup (handicap) at Newbury.

As Galway is a mixed Flat/jumps meeting, Mullins – who has 70 Galway (including non-Festival) jumps winners to his name – has enjoyed plenty of success in the races over obstacles, though he has only won the feature Galway Plate once, strangely enough, with Blazing Tempo in 2011.

However, expect his name to feature among several results on the level over the course of the week. Interesting entries include 2016 Cheltenham Festival winner Limini in a two-mile Flat handicap on the opening day (from a mark of 89!) and the progressive Riven Light, a three-time winner last season, who has an entry over a mile on Tuesday.

A nice performance from the well-supported Stratum who justifies favouritism in the JLT Cup under Robert Winston for trainer Willie Mullins! pic.twitter.com/uRFSsINfea

— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) July 21, 2018

Horse racing politics

With over 150,000 people expected to go to the meeting over the course of the week, attendance numbers at Galway are much healthier than some of Ireland’s meetings which feature higher quality racing, often with more of a focus on the animal, rather than the craic.

In general, this echoes a similar pattern in Britain, with race meetings such as the Guineas at Newmarket and the St Leger at Doncaster less well-attended than would be expected for the Classics, especially when compared with the success of (sometimes) high-profile music evening meetings.

While attracting enough people to make horse racing a viable business for racecourses is important, it’s hard to argue too much with the view of Ger Lyons, who has 10 Galway winners to his name, himself.

He told the Irish Times: “I’ve no interest in cricket. But if I went to a cricket match I wouldn’t expect someone to put on a horse race for me in the middle of the pitch. Instead of being so insecure we should have our chest out and without being arrogant look in the mirror and be confident about what we’re doing.”

With due deference to old stalwart Brendan Bracken and the unexposed Group 3 winner Who’s Steph, Lyons may lack a star performer himself at the moment, but there are enough big names on show at Galway to ensure that most – if not all – eyes in the crowd will be on the action on the track.

The Galway Plate

As mentioned earlier, Willie Mullins has not been the man to follow in the Galway Plate, with last year’s result – in which Shaneshill chased home the Gigginstown-owned Balko des Flos – a microcosm for the Irish trainers’ championship until Mullins peppered the Punchestown Festival with 117 runners, for all that the winner was trained by Henry de Bromhead rather than Gordon Elliott.

Balko Des Flos wins @thetotecom Galway Plate! @Galway_Races pic.twitter.com/onfHmG1QpM

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 2, 2017

But judging by the early entries, it appears that Mullins is intent on collecting as much of the race’s total prize money (€250,000) as possible. He has 12 of the 54 still engaged, his team led by Patricks Park and Blazer if the betting is anything to go by, and though not all will run, it’s worth remembering that Mullins saddled a record-equalling 13 in a handicap at Punchestown in April.

Despite its value, the race is not embraced by British-based trainers for some reason, with Drumcliff and Kalondra the only entries from across the Irish Sea. The former has progressed well over fences, especially when ridden by the trainer’s sister-in-law Aine O’Connor, while Kalondra got back on track when third to Traffic Fluide in the Silver Trophy Chase (Limited Handicap) at Cheltenham when last seen in April.

Neither should be discounted as their handlers look to become the first British trainer to win the race since the Paul Nicholls-trained Oslot won the 2008 renewal.