Ado McGuinness

WE’LL hopefully have a big team heading for Galway. We could have five runners in the Galway Mile, and we’ll have a similar number going for the Ahonoora Handicap on Sunday. We had all our Galway horses away to the Curragh on Thursday and we were very happy with all of them.

It was a brilliant festival for us last year, winning two of the premier handicaps, and the only downside for us was that we had no owners there. This year it will be great to have owners there for all runners, not just our own.

I’m sure that I’m speaking for all trainers when I say that every owner of every horse no matter how big or small a stake they have in a horse, or who trains it, deserves huge credit for sticking by our industry during Covid. Every single one of them have been brilliant and they have kept our game going.

They have been a very welcome sight at the racecourse over the last few weeks and it is great to see racecourses making a real effort for them since they returned to racing. I know there will only be 1,000 people there next week, but owners will definitely add a bit of atmosphere, which was lacking last year.

Current Option

5yo b g (1151-4244)

Camelot - Coppertop

Dooley Thoroughbreds, Shamrock Thoroughbreds & Bart O’Sullivan

He has a lot of weight but he proved last year that he is a very classy horse, and I was very pleased with him when he finished fourth in the Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh last weekend. He may just have needed that, and Gavin (Ryan) was delighted with him. He can be a bit gassy and that run will have knocked the freshness off him.

We’ve had him down to the beach since the weekend and we’ll keep him ticking over and there is every chance that he will run in both the mile and the seven next week – he ran in both races last years. He has found life tough this year with all his penalties and he has been giving away a lot of weight every time that he has pitched up in group race this season, but he has performed very well in them.

Saltonstall

7yo ch g (4726750)

Pivotal - Macleya

Dooley Thoroughbreds & Bart O’Sullivan

He has been a legend of a horse for us and he’ll run on Tuesday in the Galway Mile. He has won the race for the last two years and he just loves the place. He is rated a lot higher this year but he is entitled to be as, like Current Option, he is a genuine stakes performer. Gavin Ryan was brilliant on him last year and that is the way to ride him, take your time as he loves passing horses.

He was parked out wide the last day at Leopardstown and the ground was a bit quick for him there but he wasn’t beaten far in fifth in the Celebration Stakes at The Curragh on Irish Derby Day. He had 10st on his back that day and he had to give a lot of weight to the three-year-olds who were in front of him.

He is in super form, and we have had him to the beach a lot and he looks great. It will be a massive ask for him on Tuesday but Galway form accounts for a lot and we’d be hopeful that he will give a very good account of himself.

Saltonstall (near) will aim to complete a unique hat-trick in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile \carolinenorris.ie

Sirjack Thomas

6yo gr g (840-3061)

Fast Company - Veliyka

Dooley Thoroughbreds

He is in both the big mile and seven-furlong handicaps so we’ll see how he gets on Tuesday, but the plan is to run him both days. He won down there last year, and he won the premier handicap at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

As he has gotten older, he seems to handle any ground. He proved last year when he won down there, that he is very good with an ease in the ground, and it was fast when he won at the Curragh.

He is a rock-solid horse and the form of his last two runs has worked out well. He races off a career high mark, so he has it to do, but again he has Galway form.

I’ve been very happy with him, and he deserves a crack at the mile on Tuesday and depending on how that goes, he could well run back in the Ahonoora on Sunday.

Star Harbour

3yo b g (3295161)

Sea The Stars - Sioduil

Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited

He is in both the mile on Tuesday and the big mile and a half on Saturday, but he showed plenty of pace to win over a mile the last day at Killarney and the penalty that he got for winning means that he gets into both races. At the minute, I would say that he’ll go for the mile but I’ll chat to his owners and see what they want to do. He has won over a mile and a quarter, and he has sharpened up a lot this season. Ground doesn’t appear to be an issue for him and he is an improving horse. Three-year-olds don’t have a great record in Galway but I’d say there is every chance that he’ll go there.

Spanish Tenor

7yo ch g (385-0018)

Lope De Vega - Devious Soprano

Shamrock Thoroughbreds

He is a grand horse that we claimed a while ago and he’ll give his new owners a great day out hopefully on Tuesday in the Galway Mile. He wasn’t expensive and I’ve been very happy with him. He has the option of both races and there is every chance that he’ll run both days. He wasn’t beaten far in the Ahonoora last year and perhaps seven is his best trip, but we like this horse, and his work has been very solid.

Politicise

5yo b g (NH: 10-036, F: 10-080)

Camelot - Politesse

Dooley & Shamrock Thoroughbreds

He is another one that loves Galway. He will have options on the flat and over hurdles and fences – we’ll see, he might run twice down there. He has won over hurdles at Galway for us and he has taken pretty well to fences. We’ll make a call over the weekend as to what race he’ll go for.

Magnetic North

6yo ch g (9020200)

Born To Sea - No Trimmings

Dooley Thoroughbreds

He is a grand horse, and he will have a few options down there, but what race he’ll go for yet, I’m not sure. I suppose a little ease in the ground would be a help to him, but in fairness to Galway the ground is never fast down there. We’ll have a look at all the options over the weekend for him and decide as to what race he’ll go for. He’s another with good form around the track.

Shark Hanlon

Skyace

6yo b m (6F1141-F)

Westerner - Graigace

Birdinthehand Syndicate

She is in super form. We’ll take her away to Doninga on Saturday for her last bit before next week and that’ll leave her right for the Galway Hurdle.

The good ground next week will be a big help to her. It will be a very big ask but it’s a stiff two miles and that’ll suit her. She is a Grade 1 horse dropping back into handicap company and it’s a massive pot and we had to go this route with her.

She has been the dream filly to own, and I owe her a lot as I’ve gotten a lot of new horses and owners because of her. She never works well at home, but she has been working really well lately and I’m not sure why that is. Normally she is out in the paddock at this time of the year, but she is thriving and enjoying her work in the good weather.

All the lads who own her are home and none of them have ever seen her in the flesh. It’ll be great for everyone that a few of the lads will be in Galway next week and if she is in contention at the second last, I’d say you’ll hear them over in Dubai.

Because she has been so good to us all, there is no pressure whatsoever next week and we are all enjoying the build-up and then after Galway, she’ll have a long break and we’ll have her back for all those good mares’ races in the spring on nice ground.

Skyace is primed for another big run in the Galway Hurdle \ Healy Racing

Gearoid O’Loughlin

Ben Dundee

9yo ch g (4275/5-07)

Beneficial - Miss Dundee

C Jones

He is in the two-mile–two-furlong handicap chase but he’s also in the Plate and I’ll see what Chris (Jones) wants to do, but there is a good chance that he’ll go for the Plate.

On his day, he is a classy horse and I’ve been happy with him since he ran at Killarney (seventh over hurdles to Snugsborough Hall) – that run was too bad to be true. He has loads of experience, and I think the hustle and bustle of the Plate will suit him as will the good ground. He’s a classy horse and he’s in great form.

Mitchouka

7yo b g (6/36513-)

Creachadoir - Minnaloushe

C Jones

He goes for the Plate and Ricky Doyle will ride him there. He has 10st 10lbs – anything above 11st won’t suit him as he’s not a big horse, so I’m hoping the weights won’t go up. He beat Livelovelaugh last season at Leopardstown and the form of that race has worked very well since.

He runs well fresh, and touch wood, he’s a very good jumper and he appreciates good ground.

He’s in very good form, two miles and six furlongs around Galway will suit him and we’ve been aiming him at the Plate for a long time.

Mitchouka has notable Leopardstown form with the likes of Livelovelaugh and has had the Plate as his target for a long time \ Healy Racing

Whatsyourstatus

8yo b g (63121-4)

Ask - Exit To Bullaun

Gearoid O’Loughlin

He’s a horse of my own and he won two for us last year, a beginners’ chase and a handicap hurdle. He wants the ground as quick as possible so hopefully any rain stays away. He is in great form, and he has a couple of options, but I’m hoping to get him into the Blazers.

I think if he got in there and got a bit of luck in running, he could run a big race.

Emmet Mullins

The Shunter

8yo b g (411413112-3)

Stowaway - Tornado Lady

John P McManus

He has a high enough mark, and plenty of weight, but the plan is that he’ll go to the Plate. He disappointed us the last day over fences at Aintree. He didn’t jump well and at the time we couldn’t understand why he jumped so badly but when he came back in, he had a very bad cut, so we’re putting his poor jumping down to that. He has run well since over hurdles at Punchestown and he had a break after that run. He seems to be fit and well.

Carrerea

4yo ch g (112)

Notnowcato - Georgina Valleya

George Mullins

He has a couple of options but I’d say that he’ll more than likely take his chance in the four-year-old novice hurdle on Wednesday.

He ran a bit free and was a bit sticky with his jumping at Cork (finished second to Ilmig in a maiden hurdle), so I think that he’ll go there with a chance with that experience behind him. He likes good ground, has won two bumpers and he’s a horse that we’ve always liked.

Russian Diamond

7yo b g (112/3F-5)

Morozov - Diamond Forever

Mrs A F Mee

He’ll go for a beginners’ chase later in the week. He’s owned by Mrs Mee and she always likes to have runners in Galway. He is fresh and well, and he has been schooling well. He’ll appreciate the good ground and he was unlucky at this meeting last year, as he just took a novicey fall. It’s been the plan all year to go back to Galway with him.