Galway Races 2015: Kennedy to have first Galway winner on Clondaw Warrior
JACK KENNEDY has been a youngster getting rave reviews since arriving on the scene earlier in the summer - on the flat and over hurdles he has excelled with his 7lbs claim and champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins will leg the 16-year-old up for the first time this evening on Royal Ascot winner CLONDAW WARRIOR in the Guinness Handicap.
Kennedy had never even been to the Galway Races before riding here last Monday evening but having graduated from the pony racing ranks he is no stranger to tightly run races and he can make sure he doesn’t go home without a winner to his name following this evening’s feature race.
We saw on Wednesday evening that Royal Ascot form came to a head with Sacrificial followed up his Britannia Stakes third to win and now Clondaw Warrior is expected to follow up his win in the Ascot Stakes with another here after missing the cut in the Galway Hurdle earlier in the week.
MASTER
Dermot Weld’s Galway hasn’t been what most have become accustomed to but the master of Rosewell House can still make a mark today with PALMETTO DUNES and Good Tradition both expected to win.
Palmetto Dunes was third behind a nice horse of Jim Bolger’s called Sanus Per Aquam and you can expect him to come forward
nicely from that to hold off the likes of Whiskey Sour and Sir Michael.
GOOD TRADITION is a lightly raced four-year-old who isn’t the highest rated in the concluding Guinness Race but certainly has the potential to become that.
Weld won the race last year with Forgotten Rules and many years ago with Ansar and Good Tradition looks a type who really could progress up through the ranks and become a high class performer in those staying flat races for Moyglare Stud.
OPTED
Willie Mullins runs two in the Galway Blazers and although Ruby Walsh has opted to ride Urano, the selection is DEVILS BRIDE for Gigginstown and Paul Townend.
A nice run over hurdles brings him to Galway in good form and prior to that he had won twice over fences which see’s him off a mark of 135 and top weight here and despite top weights having a poor record in this race, the nice ground and the hope that he is still not at the peak of his powers makes me side in his direction.
Three winners so far this week including the Galway Plate has made it a very good one for trainer Henry
de Bromhead and he can start today off well with the JP McManus RIVIERA SUN expected to complete his hat-trick under Barry Geragthy who was of course somewhat unlucky in the big Galway Hurdle on Thomas Edison in the same colours.
Cronin's Choice
GALWAY TODAY
5.10 Riviera Sun
5.45 Palmetto Dunes
6.15 Devils Bride
6.50 Clondaw Warrior
7.25 Commander Won (e/w)
8.0 Vocal Alert
8.30 Good Tradition