Galway Race week holds a special place in the hearts of racing fans in this country and the eagerly awaited Ballybrit bonanza kicks off next Monday evening and runs until the following Sunday, August 4.

 

The highlight of the summer without a doubt on the racing circuit, the seven-day fixture will have fans flocking to the western venue where the excitement will be at fever pitch on and off the track.
The atmosphere in and around the enclosures is electric as both serious punters and holidaymakers mingle freely, all with a common goal to find that all-important winner to fund the week’s activities.

The jewel in the crown of Horse Racing Ireland’s schedule, Galway 2013 will attract close on 150,000 fans through the turnstiles, thus bringing a much needed boost to the city and its environs where it is estimated as much as €50 million will be spent during the week.

On track, racing will be hugely competitive as it always is with the top stables vying to claim a share of the mightily impressive €1.6 million prize money on offer.
Europe’s longest running racing festival gets underway with ‘Galway’s Best Hotel’s’ Race Day, where the feature race will be sponsored by the newly named Connacht Hotel. The first race goes to post at 5.10pm. Galway milliner Suzie Mahoney will also go in search of the ‘Most Appropriately Dressed Lady’. Well-known Irish sports stars from the world of GAA, rugby, soccer and racing will take to the stage on Monday evening and they will be interviewed by one of Ireland’s leading sports presenters.

The feature race on the Tuesday evening is the €115,000 Topaz Mile Handicap. Well-known western business Caulfield Industrial sponsor three of Tuesday’s races and the Latin Quarter Steeplechase is backed by Galway City’s prime entertainment sector. Racing gets underway at 5.10pm.

The €200,000 thetote.com Galway Plate features on Wednesday, July 31 and all races on this day are sponsored by Tote Ireland.
Guinness continue their sponsorship on Thursday August 1 and Friday August 2 and sponsor the richest national hunt race staged in Ireland, The Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap, valued at €260,000. Racing on Thursday kicks off at 1.50pm.

The ever-popular ladies’ day is an absolute must for fashionistas on Thursday as sponsor Anthony Ryan’s Galway introduces a new ‘Wear Irish’ award in addition to the Best Dressed Lady and Best Hat Competition.
TV presenter and VIP Style Award’s Most Stylish Woman Kathryn Thomas, joins the judging panel, alongside fashion editor of the Irish Independent Bairbre Power and editor of Social & Personal Magazine PJ Gibbons. With a prize fund of €20,000 it’s the premier fashion event on the Irish racing calendar.

Friday patrons will be delighted with a new innovation of the Friday Fair Lady Competition sponsored by Athlone Towncentre Shopping Centre. Leading stylist Marietta Doran will select Galway’s Friday Fair Lady, who will win a Shop & Stay Package at the Athlone Town Centre Shopping Centre worth €1,000. Racing starts at 5.10pm.

Saturday, August 3 sees sponsors Ladbrokes continue their Red theme, and in conjunction with fashion house LK Bennett there’s a fantastic prize for the best dressed with a hint of red. Award winning fashion designer Heidi Higgins will join Ladbrokes on the day to judge this competition. Racing starts from 2.30pm and the main race of the day is the Ladbroke’s Handicap Hurdle valued at €50,000.

Sunday’s feature race valued at €100,000 is sponsored by the European Breeders Fund.  Sunday is Family Day and also Mad Hatters Day, patrons young and old are invited to don a mad hat to be in with a chance to win fabulous prizes, which will be judged by Galway milliner Edel Ramberg. The top prize on the day is a trip to Milan, while the winning prize for the children’s mad hatter is a trip to Barcelona, sponsored by Ireland West Airport Knock.

Children and teenagers under 16 years of age when accompanied by their parent(s) will be admitted free of charge to next week’s meeting. Any child or teenager who is not accompanied by their parent(s) will have to pay the student admission fee for that day.

The shuttle bus service will operate again this year from Eyre Square and drop off at the racecourse this year will be adjacent to Entrance C. This will provide easier access to people traveling to the races by Bus Éireann shuttle and there will be a race card draw each day of the festival for a €500 cash prize. 

Weld again the man to follow

Dermot Weld has a special affinity with Galway and the Kildare trainer can be relied upon once again to be the main man at next week’s big meeting. The master of Rosewell House has been leading trainer at this fixture 26 times and makes no secret of the fact that he lays out a special team for Ballybrit each year.

Whatever it is about Weld he seems to have the key to success when it comes to Galway and two years ago he totally dominated when sending out 17 winners over the seven days, a phenomenal achievement.
All Weld’s horses next week will come in for close scrutiny and, with a host of talent to call on both on the flat and over jumps, the so-called ‘King Of Ballybrit’ looks nailed-on to be top trainer once again.
In recent years, other trainers to do well at the festival on the flat include Aidan O’Brien, Kevin Prendergast and Jim Bolger, while over jumps Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Noel Meade, Dessie Hughes and Henry De Bromhead are all likely to field strong teams at the Western venue over the week.

On the jockey front, Pat Smullen, because of his association with team Weld, is odds-on to be leading rider on the flat, with Ruby Walsh, Barry Geragthy, Davy Condon and Paul Townend front-runners for the National Hunt award.
One top rider who will not be in action next week is Paul Carberry. The luckless Meath rider has suffered more than his fair share of injuries in recent years and, having undergone surgery last week to correct an on-going shoulder problem, he will be on the sidelines until the big meeting at Listowel in September.

Mossey Joe a leading Plate contender

The big two jump races of the week are the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle. Wednesday’s Plate has attracted 61 entries, including quite a few from the UK.
From a local point of view, all eyes will be on Mossey Joe in this the two-mile, six-furlong contest as the prolific hunter chaser bids to land this prestigious prize for Cratloe trainer Declan McNamara.

A good winner of a keenly contested Hunter’s Chase at Stratford – where his victims included dual Cheltenham Foxhunter winner Salsify – Mossey Joe is unbeaten in his last four starts and is primed for a big run next week according to his trainer, who reports: “Mossey Joe is in great shape and we are really looking forward to the Plate. He has matured a lot of late and is settling better now, both at home and in his races, which is a huge plus.

“We gave him a little break after his Stratford win and he’s come back in tip-top form. Damian Skehan seems to get on great with him and he will ride him again next week. He loves good ground so that should not be a problem and if he finished in the first half-dozen it would be super,” added McNamara.
Newmarket-on-Fergus-born, County Kildare-based trainer Martin Brassil also has an interest in the Plate with his recent Kilbeggan winner Double Seven among the entries.

At the County Westmeath track last Friday, this JP McManus-owned son of Milan landed the Gigginstown House-sponsored Midlands Grand National under a good ride from Alan Crowe at odds of 7/1 and it remains to be seen if the seven-year-old will get into the race. If not, he may well go for something like the Galway Blazers Chase.

Thursday’s Guinness Galway Hurdle is, as expected, a really tricky affair. Willie Mullins’ Pique Sous and Ted Veale, who won the County Hurdle at Cheltenham for Tony Martin, are currently joint-favorites in the ante-post market at 6/1 with Dermot Weld’s course winner Rock Critic next best at 8/1. This €260,000 contest will be one of the most competitive races of the week with a whole host of horses set to come in for support.

One critical factor when it comes to having a bet next week will be the ground. Galway manager John Moloney and his team have done an excellent job watering the track during the recent heat wave in an effort to provide safe ground and how participants handle it will be crucial.

A lot of hard work goes in each year preparing for the biggest Festival of racing in Ireland and the stage is set for yet another fantastic week at the world-famous Ballybrit venue.