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- Galway Hurdle Preview: Expert Tips for Thursday's Feature Race
Galway Hurdle Preview: Expert Tips for Thursday's Feature Race
© Healy Racing Photos
It’s day four of the Galway Festival on Thursday and the highlight is undoubtedly the €270,000 Galway Hurdle, which takes place at 16:30.
Run over two miles, it’s a prestigious and valuable event, which every trainer wants to win. Only three handlers have won it in the last decade, two of whom are represented this time around.
A field of 20 has been declared and there are a couple of reserves ready to line up should any of the runners pull out. Our expert has assessed the big race and selected two strong fancies to follow.
Galway Hurdle Tips
Selection: Mr Percy
Next Best: Dysart Enos
4.302m. 11yds. 19 Declared.
Guinness Galway H'dle H'cap (Grade 3) of €270,000.00 4-y-o plus
- Formscan
- Race Info
- Conditions
1st - €162,000.00 2nd - €54,000.00 3rd - €27,000.00 4th - €13,500.00 5th - €8,100.00 6th - €5,400.00 Going - Flat: Soft. Natinal Hunt: Good, good to yielding in places. Fine and warm
Formscan By Gary Carson- Fergal O’Brien saddles his first runner at Galway with DYSART ENOS and she might be worth a shot at a nice price. The Malinas mare looked like a star in the making early in her career but was slightly disappointing last term. She didn’t run badly though when fourth in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and this nice ground should suit. A spin on the Flat recently should have left her spot on. Puturhandstogether was running a nice race in the Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary earlier this month until a mistake at the last. The ‘Fred Winter’ winner bids to make it a hat-trick in the race for four-year-olds. Joseph O’Brien also saddles another live contender in Mr Percy.
An extended handicap hurdle for four years old and upwards that have run at least four times in hurdle races up to and including 20th July 2025
Penalties - Winner of a hurdle race or hurdle races after calculation of the handicap shall carry any penalty or penalties which may be allotted by the Handicapper.
Odds Shortening 
Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
12 | 10th | Puturhandstogether | 9/2 | |
5 | 1st | Ndaawi | 6/1 | |
11 | 14th | Dysart Enos | 15/2 | |
7 | 16th | Mr Percy | 8/1 | |
13 | 6th | Jalila Moriviere | 17/2 | |
4 | 8th | Enniskerry | 10/1 | |
16 | 2nd | Helvic Dream | 11/1 | |
15 | u.r. | Bowensonfire | 12/1 | |
10 | 4th | Tounsivator | 12/1 | |
9 | 3rd | Casheldale Lad | 18/1 | |
18 | 13th | Royal Hollow | 18/1 | |
20 | fell | Relieved Of Duties | 22/1 | |
6 | 17th | Sunchart | 25/1 | |
1 | 11th | Winter Fog | 25/1 | |
2 | 5th | Gaucher | 25/1 | |
17 | 7th | Lord Erskine | 25/1 | |
14 | 12th | Downmexicoway | 25/1 | |
8 | 9th | Batman Girac | 33/1 | |
19 | 15th | Addragoole | 33/1 | |
3 | n.r. | Jesse Evans | 10/1 | |
| 22 | n.r. | Last Kingdom | 12/1 | |
21 | n.r. | Prairie Dancer | 40/1 | |
23 | n.r. | Stormalong | 50/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 139% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 6 1/5 | |||
9/2
BoyleSports Betting Offer
Is Willie Mullins going to draw a blank for once?
There aren’t many big National Hunt races that Willie Mullins doesn’t win, as he’s the dominant force within the sport. The market thinks he is going to struggle to win this one however, as the shortest of his six runners, Gaucher, is a 12/1 chance.
That being said, he has won five of the last 10 renewals of this race and it’s therefore very dangerous to rule him out. Paul Townend has sided with Jalila Moriviere and it is interesting that Harry Cobden has gone over to ride 16/1 shot Tounsivator.
Joseph O’Brien won this last year with Nurburgring and back in 2017 with Tigris River, and he is represented by ante-post favourite Puturhandstogether, as well as the very interesting Mr Percy. Gordon Elliott is also mob-handed and Ndaawi is probably his best chance of a winner.
Perennial bridesmaid Jesse Evans has finished second twice in this race and you wouldn’t want to rule out another big run. Fergal O’Brien sends over Dysart Enos and she looks very interesting, as she is capable of very strong form on her day.
Mr Percy has the perfect profile
© Healy Racing Photos
Joseph O’Brien has been in excellent nick recently and is one of only three trainers to have won this race in the last decade. MR PERCY is arguably the least exposed of his runners, as the five-year-old has made just five starts over hurdles and only one of those has come in handicap company.
He won a maiden hurdle at Limerick nicely in October and went on to finish second in a Grade 3 novice hurdle after that. Admittedly his one run in handicaps was underwhelming but he was very inexperienced over hurdles at the time and would have learned plenty from the experience.
Putting that run well behind him next time, he battled to victory in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Fairyhouse in April. O’Brien’s gelding warmed up for this with victory over 1m6f on the Flat last month and it’s unlikely that we’ve seen the best of him over hurdles just yet.
Dysart can launch a successful raid
Native Irishman Fergal O’Brien sends the very smart mare DYSART ENOS over and she could run a massive race. The daughter of Malinas was excellent in bumpers and she beat the 2025 Champion Hurdle winner by nine lengths in a Grade 2 at Aintree in 2023.
She won her first three starts over hurdles very comfortably and injury prevented her from running in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last year. While it’s noted that she failed to win in four starts over hurdles last season, a return to winning ways could be on the cards soon.
Stable form is a slight concern but this mare has a big prize in her and 16/1 is a decent each-way price. It’s a bold decision to send her over and connections could be rewarded here.
