Galway October Festival Guide: Jockeys And Trainers To Follow Galway is one of the most popular courses in Ireland and racegoers never come away with a negative experience. It has the perfect combination of competitive and quality racing, with a world-famous atmosphere which is very hard to beat. The track is probably better known for its week-long festival in the summer, which features the Galway Hurdle and Galway Plate, but there’s a three-day meeting coming up which isn’t to be missed. We’ve put together a guide which tells you everything you need to know. This fixture was previously a two-day meeting, but an extra day has been added this year, which should provide even more thrilling and competitive action. There was a good mix of handicaps and maidens last year and it’ll be interesting to see what the extra day of racing will bring to the table. When and where? The three-day meeting kicks off at Galway racecourse on Saturday 25th October and finishes on the Bank Holiday on Monday 27th. The racecourse is a mere six kilometres from the city centre and is situated close to the M4 motorway. Who are the jockeys to follow? Darragh O’Keeffe has had a very productive summer and currently sits at the top of the jockeys’ championship with a sizable lead. He has grabbed the opportunity to be Henry de Bromhead’s main man in the saddle with both hands so far and that’s expected to continue. One of the riders who will be hoping to chase him down is Jack Kennedy and Gordon Elliott’s stable jockey will be an obvious candidate. Kennedy rode a four-timer in the US last weekend and that momentum could provide a big advantage. With four Galway winners to his name already this season, it would be unwise to rule out further success. Paul Townend rarely comes away from any meeting without a winner and he’s one to watch with that in mind. Willie Mullins is so dominant at the moment and Townend will be the main beneficiary of that, despite the fact that this can be a quiet time of year for the trainer. Which trainers could be dangerous? Look no further than Mullins, as he had two winners across the two days last year and is rarely far away from the winners’ enclosure. He hasn’t had as many winners as usual in recent weeks, but that only makes the County Carlow trainer more dangerous. Elliott had a very good weekend in the US with five winners from six runners at Far Hills, which included Zanahiyr’s dramatic victory in the American Grand National. More winners will surely be on the agenda, having had three at this meeting last year. The De Bromhead yard is in good nick at the moment, with nine winners from 39 runners in the last fortnight. This includes a treble at Limerick over the weekend and his runners will be worth looking out for.
