Katie Walsh: So happy for Jessica and Kate after win as Wood did his best
Galway got off to a fantastic start yesterday with good crowds and a brilliant win for Kate Harrington and her mother Jessica in the big race of the evening.
There's no amateur that will make a secret of how much they want to win the feature race and Kate got a great kick out of it and I love seeing that, I love seeing jockeys winning a race that means a lot to them.
For a moment turning for home I thought that it might be my day on Wood Breizh, but it wasn't to be and we had to settle for fourth. He broke brilliantly from a wide draw and I couldn't believe we got the early position that we did in the race and from there everything went according to plan but on the day there was just a few better than us. But connections were happy and there will be plenty of races to be won with him over the course of time, with a bit of luck.
Yesterday, I did have my reservations about the ground going into the week and I thought it would be a lot softer than it actually was but Galway didn't get all the rain that we did on the way up and with a bit of sun and a real good wind it was drying out all throughout the day and it was lovely ground for racing on.
Providing it stays like that I think that Willie has a real big opportunity to win the Galway Plate again tomorrow with Alelchi Inois.
This horse has run 12 times and won eight of those. Twice when he pulled up last season it was on ground that was softer than he would have liked so once the ground is good he has to have a right chance.
He has won twice here at Galway itself and we see year in, year out how important course form can be. He won at the Festival here 12 months ago and then came back in September and won again.
His last run was his first for a while and he won that well over hurdles beating Bayan, who is a very good horse, in the process and that was a fine preparation for the Plate.
If Your Busy makes the cut, which unfortunately looks unlikely, I think I get to ride him and that really would be something to look forward to. Obviously he is a horse that means a lot to me as we had a great day in Listowel, winning the Kerry National last year, and he has won around Galway before so that would be exciting.
Other horses to keep an eye on are Philip Dempsey's Jackonslady who won here last year over course and distance and was third in the Plate two years ago. If Rebel Fitz lines up, he is a classy horse who will warrant a lot of respect as well.
In the Bet On All UK Racing With Tote Amateur Maiden tomorrow, I ride John Murphy's Seaforth who looks a good ride in the race. Obviously you have to respect Aidan O'Brien and Dermot Weld's but my horses comes here with good maiden form and I'd be hopeful can run a nice race and get involved.
clash
Elsewhere, Cheltenham Bumper winner Silver Concorde looks set to meet Thomas Hobson in the opening maiden hurdle and that should be a fascinating clash between two class horses.
I think the better ground will suit both of them and we saw here yesterday how classy a novice hurdler you need to win because Bachasson looked the real deal in the opener and he's a name for the future, I'd imagine.
I'd probably just side with Dermot Weld's Silver Concorde if I had to pick between the two, but it's certainly a race worth watching.
Katie's Choice: Galway Wednesday
3.00 Silver Concorde
4.45 First Figaro
5.30 Alelchi Inois
Galway Tuesday
5.45 Hash Brown
6.50 Unsinkable