JOHN HANLON has given Luska Lad the green light to contest the Guinness Galway Hurdle off top weight next week. The six-year-old is one of 42 entries remaining in the valuable event and recent rain has given the Co Carlow handler cause for optimism.
“I was absolutely delighted with the rain we’ve had and he’s in great form so we are going for the hurdle with him without a doubt,” said Hanlon.
“He was brilliant the whole year, but we shouldn’t have gone to Punchestown, the ground was too quick. We worked him at Tipperary the other morning, Davy Russell rode him and said he felt super.
“Davy will ride him next week. I thought about claiming off him but as soon as Davy was fit, he knows the horse so well I think he is worth the 5lb of a claimer.”
Donald McCain’s Overturn is the ante-post favourite. The versatile six-year-old has won the Scottish Champion Hurdle, finished second in the Swinton Hurdle and won the Northumberland Plate on the level in his last three starts.
Fellow British entries include Phil Kirby’s Amazing King, Evan Williams’ Dantari and Tiger O’Toole, Michael Scudamore Gloucester, Brian Ellison’s Palomar and Paul Nicholls’ Truxton King.
All the major fancies have stood their ground including Bahrain Storm, Gordon Elliott’s Dirar, Jessica Harrington’s Gimli’s Rock and New Phase, representing Galway king Dermot Weld.
Meanwhile, Paul Nolan reports Cuan Na Grai to be in fine shape as the 2006 Galway Hurdle winner bids to emulate Ansar and also land the big handicap chase at the meeting, the Galway Plate.
Ansar was trained by Dermot Weld to make history at the Ballybrit course by taking the Plate in 2004 and 2005 after success in the Hurdle in 2001.
While Nolan expects Cuan Na Grai to put up a bold show, he is concerned the race might come too soon as the nine-year-old was in action on Sunday when second to 2009 Galway Hurdle scorer Bahrain Storm at Tipperary.
“He’s in good form and he’s come out of his race grand,” said the Co Wexford trainer.
“It might come a little bit soon, but we’re hoping he’ll be okay and hopefully he’ll run well.”
The Weld-trained Majestic Concorde is 6 to 1 favourite with William Hill, with Cuan Na Grai a 10 to 1 chance, after a total of 65 horses stood their ground at the latest forfeit stage for Wednesday’s feature.
“Majestic Concorde and Themoonandsixpence have been the two best backed horses in the race,” said William Hill spokesman Tony Kenny.
Fancied British-trained possibles include Five Dream, from the Paul Nicholls yard, who sent out Oslot to take this prize two years ago, and Grand Slam Hero.
The latter, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, has been handed a 7lb penalty for his victory in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen on Saturday.
BETTING: Galway Plate (William Hill): 6-1 Majestic Concorde, 8-1 Themoonandsixpence, 9-1 Five Dream, 10-1 Cuan Na Grai, Grand Slam Hero, Nedzer’s Return, The Last Derby, 14-1 Bobs Pride, Bringbackthebiff, Decoy Daddy, Deutschland, 16-1 bar.
