Three Key Galway Festival Trends You
Should Know Before Betting
The Galway Festival is the longest horse racing meet held on consecutive days anywhere in the British
Isles. More than just a sporting highlight, it becomes a cultural hotspot in the west of Ireland during the summer.
As with any horse racing festival,
one way to approach betting on the Galway Races is to consider statistics and trends before placing your wagers. If a certain horse fits the profile for the
race in question, then that gives you a good reason to back it.
We have found some interesting stats you should take note of before you
bet on the Galway Races this year. The 2021 festival is on from 27 July to 2
August at the Ballybrit track, so bear these trends in mind.
Look lower down the weights in Galway
Plate
Only one winner of the feature steeplechase of the Galway Festival, the Galway Plate run on the Wednesday, has carried 11 stone or more to
victory this century. That was dual race winner Ansar, who followed up on his 2004 success by winning at 13lb heavier the following year.
The
broad trend instead is for well-handicapped younger horses aged between six and eight to win the race. As six and seven-year-olds have landed the Galway Plate
since 2011, this is a particularly good age profile to focus on.
1-2 in the Grand National 1-2 in the Gold Cup Champion Hurdle Champion Chase
The
four biggest races in the business, and Henry De Bromhead has dominated every single one of them ?? pic.twitter.com/JtybDztCzz
Henry De Bromhead, who has achieved wider fame for his training exploits in the spring after
saddling winners of the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup
and Grand National at Aintree, has a horse with an interesting profile in Cavalry Master. He ticks many of the above boxes and comes to the
Galway Plate in form after four consecutive wins over fences for four-time race-winning owners Gigginstown House Stud.
Mullins may be trainer to follow for Galway Hurdle
Another of Ireland's master trainers, Willie Mullins, has also had plenty of
success at the Galway Festival. The County Carlow handler has saddled the winner of the Galway Hurdle three times in the last six years including Sharjah in
2018, so any horse hailing from his Closutton stables commands respect.
Potential Mullins mounts in the Galway Hurdle this year include Ciel De Neige for leading Irish owner JP
McManus, joint topweight Saldier and
2020 Triumph Hurdle
heroine Burning Victory. Plenty of other horses from the yard have early closing entries, but they may struggle to make the cut into the final field
at Ballybrit.
Don't ignore mares in Flat stayers handicap
On the opening day of the Galway
Races, the feature event is a Premier Handicap over an extended two miles on the Flat. This test of stamina has been won by mares in each of the last two
seasons. Great White Shark, who returned to the meeting and won over hurdles and a trip of almost three miles in the Grade B Guinness Handicap Hurdle last
year, delivered for Mullins on the level in 2019.
Princess Zoe, the stable star of another Mullins, Tony, also took the Flat stayers handicap at the
Galway Festival in 2020. She ran again during the meeting and plundered the middle-distance Premier Handicap over a mile-and-a-half which set her on the path
to Prix du Cadran glory in France. Galway can be a huge stepping stone for horses of all ages and genders, so know your trends.
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