Paul Townend: My preview of Friday & Saturday at Galway

The Betway Ambassador previews his rides on Friday and Saturday of the Galway Festival, kicking off with Ocastle Des Mottes in the Beginners Chase.

Friday

The first race for us on Friday is the Beginners Chase (17:30), and I ride Ocastle Des Mottes 3/1 , who is a horse with plenty of experience over fences for a race of this nature, so hopefully he can put it to good use. He showed he retains plenty of ability after a long absence when fourth on his return at Cork back in April, and I’m not sure what happened at Punchestown last time when he pulled up, but he’s been in great form at home since, so he goes here with a really solid chance.

Talk In The Park would be a big danger after finishing second in this race last year, so he’s bidding to go one better, and Vicar Street brings plenty of potential to this race, so we’ll have to settle and do things right if we are going to get our head in front.

There’s then a good pot up for grabs in the Galway Blazers Handicap Chase (18:00), and I’ll be hoping we can take a piece of it with Where’s My Jet 9/1 in what is admittedly a very competitive race. There wouldn’t be a lot between ours here, and although Where’s My Jet doesn’t have the most appealing form figures, he could just be well treated based on his run in one of the big handicaps at the Dublin Racing Festival back in February. He’s 9lb lower here, and of course, he’s dropped because he’s been disappointing of late, but if he can return to something like his winter form, then I think he’s off a very attractive mark.

Jalia Moriviere has plenty of weight, but has some classy form to her name, so if she settles over this longer trip, she could be the one to beat, but it’s a very open race, as you’d expect for the prize money.

Saturday

I then kick off on Saturday with Columbus / in the Maiden Hurdle (14:02), and he’s a horse I’m really looking forward to this weekend. He took to hurdling well when second behind Midnight Jet at Killarney, and that piece of form is working out particularly well.

He ran a bit of a stinker over at Ascot last month, but I’m happy to put a line through that based on the feel he gave me at Killarney, and I think he’ll step forward for that experience. There are a few nice types in here, and Young Rebel for Emmet Mullins and JP McManus would catch the eye, but I’m really happy with my lad going into this, so hopefully he can get off the mark over hurdles at the second time of asking.

I then ride Kimi De Mai / in the Handicap Hurdle (14:37), and you’d have to say she’s been disappointing since joining us from France, so hopefully she can put her best foot forward here. She did run well for Sean (Cleary-Farrell) at the Dublin Racing Festival, but she just couldn’t back that up when a disappointing odds-on favourite at Cork the next day, so she really needs to get back on track here.

It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that she could get involved here because her work at home is good, but she’s probably going to need a career best to win a race this competitive.

I wrap up Saturday with Dani Donadoni / in the Listed Handicap Hurdle (15:12), and I think he’ll appreciate this step back up in trip after running well behind Lizzie Twigg over two miles at Roscommon the last day. He’s a horse that’s been running consistently well of late, so he probably deserves to get his head back in front, and the handicapper dropping him a few pounds certainly won’t harm his chance.

Bunting has some really nice form to his name, and I suppose he’d have been the obvious choice, but he’s just a horse that finds winning particularly difficult, so I’ve gone with the potential of Dani Donadoni over him, and if he does things right, hopefully I’m on the right one.

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