Galway Plate: Preview and tips for big race

Easy Game finished second in the Galway Plate last year. He is 3lb higher now than he was then. Easy Game is four for four this season.

Gabynako finished third behind Blue Lord in the Grade 1 Barberstown Castle Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival. He finished second in Arkle at Cheltenham in March.

Hewick won the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown last April. He is only 6lb higher now than when he won at the same venue. Hewick has raced just seven times over fences.

Daly Tiger fell at the second last fence in a Grade 3 chase at Cork in April. Daly Tiger won the Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse in January 2021.

Cape Gentleman finished third in the Galway Hurdle last year. He fell at the fourth last fence in a Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse last November. Cape Gentleman has won an Irish Cesarewitch and a Dovecote Huddle.

The Shunter finished fourth in last year's Galway Plate. He won the Paddy Power Plate at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival and finished second behind Protektorat in the Grade 1 Manifesto Chase at last's Aintree Grand National. Mark Walsh's pick of the horses owned by JP McManus.

7. Annamix finished third in the Topham Chase at Aintree in April. He didn't build on that at the Punchestown Festival last time. Paul Townend prefers El Barra.

8. El Barra has won two of his last three chases. Last time he won a handicap chase at Punchestown Festival. He is 10lb higher now in the handicaps but has raced just five times over fences.

9. Notebook won the Grade 2 Fortria Chase at Navan on his debut last season. He hasn't won since then, but he has been dropping down the weights. The handicapper dropped him by another 4lb for his latest run behind Easy Game at Tramore.

Ronald Pump hasn't won since he won a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse in November 2019. He finished second to Honeysuckle in the 2020 Hatton's Grace Hurdle and second in Leinster National at Naas in March. Ronald Pump gets to race off a chase rating of 150, 4lb lower than his hurdles mark.

11. A Wave Of The Sea won the 20-runner Matheson Handicap Chase at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival in 2021. He followed it up with a similar victory last February.

Battleoverdoyen won the Arthur Guinness Chase at last year's Galway Festival. He is 7lb lower in the handicap than he was last time. Davy Russell will be running with him.

Castlegrace Paddy won a qualified riders' maiden on the flat at Killarney two weeks ago. He is down to a chase mark of 149, 8lb lower than his peak.

Darasso won a Grade 2 hurdle at the Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse in April. Darasso hasn't run over fences since he ran in the Kerry National at Listowel in September last year. He is 2lb lower now than he was then.

He hasn't won since he won the Galway Plate in 2020. He has run just five times in that time. Early Doors finished second in beginners’ chase on his only other run there.

16. Exelerator Express has won five of his last 11 chases. He came close to winning at Aintree in May and came third at Perth last time.

Hurricane Georgie has won her last three races. She is 11lb higher now, but she is still only five. Trainer has been to three of the last six renewals of Galway Plate.

The Jam Man won the Troytown Chase at Navan in November 2020 off a mark of 129. He is 16lb higher now and wears blinkers for the first time. Maze Runner finished fourth behind Monday’s Connacht Hotel Handicap runner-up.

Ash Tree Meadow has won three of his four chases this season. He has a handicap rating of 144. Ash Tree won over 2.5 miles at Killarney 11 days ago.

Fire Attack won a beginners' chase at Wexford last October. He was impressive in winning a handicap chase in Punchestown at the end of May. Trainer Joseph O'Brien mentioned the Galway Plate as a potential target after that race.

Gin On Lime is a promising novice chaser. She hasn't won since she was gifted a novices’ chase at Cheltenham last November. Last time she gave best to a talented mare at Limerick. Trainer has won the Galway Plate twice in the last seven years.

22.22 is a winner of a handicap chase over the Plate course and distance in October 2020 on his only run to date at Galway. He went down to last year's Plate winner Royal Rendezvous in a good handicaps chase at the Punchestown Festival.

23.23 is the first reserve for the Galway Plate. He was in top form last autumn and ran better than suggested at Killarney last time.

Samcro finished last year's renewal off a handicap rating of 158 and carried top weight. He is 16lb lower now than he was last season.

Unexcepted is third reserve for Galway Plate. He ran well at Killarney last time. If he can return to the form that saw him beat Entoucas by eight lengths in a beginners’ chase at Tipperary in October 2020, he could be a decent price.

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