6:40 Galway
JESSE EVANS 25/1 generally – 0.375 POINTS E/W (6 places, 1/5 odds)
DUFFLE COAT 28/1 generally – 0.25 POINTS E/W (6 places, 1/5 odds)
CHEMICAL ENERGY 40/1 generally – 0.25 POINTS E/W (6 places, 1/5 odds)
We are having a stab at the Galway Plate with 3 selections, all at big prices, for small stakes.
We will start with JESSE EVANS who has run in the Galway Hurdle for the last 4 years with his form reading 4228 in that race and he clearly loves it around Galway. He still holds an entry for the Hurdle on Thursday but I think he will run in the Plate, over fences, as I am not quite sure he has the speed for 2 miles over hurdles these days. He stays 2 miles very well so this step up to 2m 6f, may just be what he wants these days.
He has only had 5 starts over fences with one win to his name and four 3rds. He ran over fences in the Grade 1 Novice behind Majborough at Punchestown, coming home 3rd. His latest start over fences was back in May when 3rd at Kilbeggan.
Like every year he is trained to the minute for Galway by his trainer Noel Meade and those two runs over fences a couple of months ago, were obviously to get him ready for this.
He has run twice over hurdles since and won both races.
Whether he stays the 2m 6f we will have to find out but if he is going to stay it anywhere, it is going to be at Galway.
The ground will be absolutely perfect for him and Noel Meade has booked 7lb claimer Dara McGill who although I don’t know much about, he gave Mister Vic a peach of a ride at Balinrobe and could be worth every bit the 7lb claim.
I think JESSE EVANS is a huge price and given how well he jumps, if closer enough between the last two fences, he could take some stopping. E/W.
DUFFLE COAT was 2nd in this race last year and today he runs off the same handicap mark of 140 and this year the talented Sam Ewing takes the ride. He has been pulled up on his last two starts and truth be told, he has not had much luck with falling being brought down and you do have to go back to last years race, to find any bit of form.
I just think Sam Ewing would have had 2nd pick of the Gordon Elliott runners and he has chosen DUFFLE COAT who no doubt has been laid out to go one better than last year.
The ground is absolutely perfect for him and another horse who is just way too big to ignore. E/W.
Another Gordon Elliott runner who will love the ground is CHEMICAL ENERGY who also run in this race last season, coming home 5th at big odds off a mark of 146. He lines up this season on a mark of 143 and Eoin Staples takes the ride, claiming 7lb, which means he runs off 136, 10lb lower than last year. As mentioned above the key to CHEMICAL ENERGY is the ground, the faster the better. I have always felt he has a big race in him and maybe off this mark, this could be the one. He is too big a price given he made the frame last year off a 10lb higher mark.
Eoin Staples is also another talented claimer. E/W.
Good Luck
