Paul Townend discusses Thursday at the Galway Festival
Published:
I have three nice rides for day four of the Galway Festival starting off with Wicklow Brave (2.35). He was very good in his first run over fences in Ballinrobe.
I amreally looking forward to riding him. He seems to have taken to chasing verywell.
Weall know how classy a horse he is. He is an Irish St Leger winner on the Flatand a Cheltenham winner.
It’san interesting race. Cool Colonnade carries a penalty and won well in Limerickthe last day. Robin De Carlow has a mares’ allowance.
Sheis going forward but the trip might be on the sharp side for her. Zero Ten isan interesting horse declared again that won on Tuesday for Emmet Mullins.
Foveros (4.20) is the least known of my rides on the card. The J P McManus horse that beat him in Ballinrobe last time was second here on the first day so he didn’t do the form any harm.
Mylad should build on the experience he gained. He is still learning about thejumping game, but I think he will improve again and run a nice race.
LittleNugget won very well in a weak enough contest in Limerick on her first run andI actually rode Charles Byrnes’s horse Doctor Duffy at Cork the last day andfinished second.
Hejumps more like a chaser than a hurdler, but if he gets his jumping togetherthere is a huge engine there.
I chose Shanning (4.55) in the Galway Hurdle first of all because she has a lovely weight.
She was far too free last year in the two mile six handicap on the Saturday and she stayed on to finish third. She was beaten a length by Ballyoisin in Listowel over two miles.
Shehas gained plenty of experience in these handicaps. I know she has been beatenoff this mark and even a lower mark in these races, but she seems to be goingthe right way.
Shewas impressive when getting allowances of Pravalaguna in Killarney last week. Ithink she is off a competitive mark.
RivenLight is a classy individual who loves the track, albeit on the Flat. If hegets his jumping together and relaxes into a good rhythm he could be thrown in.
Thereare a lot of ifs, buts and maybes about him. I think my one just seems a littlemore straightforward and her work at home has been very good.
The other two have plenty of weight up the top. Sayo is obviously a classy individual but has been off the track for a long time.
It will be a tough task for him to take on these horses in such a competitive race without a prep run.
Stratumhas plenty of weight. Conor’s 7lb claim will help him. He has promised todeliver in a big handicap and disappointed a few times as well.
Hedisappointed in the Northumberland Plate on the Flat the last day but if heputs everything together – he ran well in Punchestown in the good handicap thelast day – he’s not be ruled out.
Paul
