Da Capo to bid for Galway Hurdle Glory Padraig Butler was amongst the winners at Limerick on Thursday evening when recent acquisition Hard Rain scored emphatically under JJ Slevin and is looking forward to running stable star Da Capo Glory in next week's Galway Hurdle. A bumper winner at Ballybrit, the six-year-old won for the second time over hurdles at Punchestown in June when getting the better of last year's Galway Plate fourth Ash Tree Meadow over 2m4f. In the wake of that victory, Timoleague Co Cork-based Butler commented: "He has a few flat spots in his races but stays very well. He has a bit of pace and a bit of guts about him." Back over two miles, the Red Strand Syndicate-owned gelding finished a staying-on fifth in the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary earlier this month. Beaten less than six lengths at level weights by the winner Fils D'oudairies, he will receive 11lb from Gordon Elliott's charge in the 270,000 Euros contest next Thursday afternoon. Butler said at Limerick: “Da Capo Glory is one of two horses I have and will run in the Galway Hurdle. He is getting in so we're hoping for luck and yielding ground would be nice to take the sting out of the ground. “This will be our biggest race to have a runner in so we're excited and the horse is in good form.” Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
