Get Ready for Galway: Expert Insights on Top Contenders

The Galway Races is Ireland's summer jamboree of racing, music and good times - a seven-day festival on the west coast that attracts more than 140,000 people to the racecourse at Ballybrit.

The racing is not of the highest standard, but it's ultra-competitive and features a mix of National Hunt and Flat fare to cater for all tastes.

The Ballybrit track is turning in its nature and tight, with many jockeys labelling it a tricky place to ride. The stiff incline that leads to the winning post means it is often viewed as a course where previous experience is a telling factor. Namely, horses that run well at Galway tend to do so often.

The 2025 Galway Races will run from Monday July 28th until Sunday August 3rd and with day one looming closer, we are taking a look at some horses who are proven at Galway in the past.

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Jesse Evans

Noel Meade 's nine-year-old Jesse Evans is a Galway regular. He ran four years in a row over hurdles at this meeting and was fourth, second and second in the Galway Hurdle before finishing eighth last year. That is hugely competitive form, his latest run coming off a mark of 150.

In September last year, he had his first run at the Ballybrit track outside of this high summer meeting and it proved a winning one as he took a beginners' chase over 2m2f from Gordon Elliott's mare Shecouldbeanything who went on to win her next four races over fences including in Listed/Graded company.

Jesse Evans is nothing if not versatile and has tackled fences (twice), hurdles (twice) and run on the Flat (twice) so far in 2025.

He has won both hurdles starts, including the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary on his most recent start. Three Grimes Hurdle winners since 2009 have gone on to Galway Races glory.

Jesse Evans holds entries in both the Galway Hurdle and Plate next week. He's officially rated 148 both over hurdles and fences and it's going to be interesting to see where Meade aims him, given his stellar Galway record.

Nurburgring

The Joseph O'Brien-trained Nurburgring paid his first visit to Ballybrit last summer and his effort in the Galway Hurdle was more akin to F1 than anything.

He was handily placed by JJ Slevin in the slipstream of the leaders and, when the chequered flag came into sight, Nurburgring accelerated into the lead and came clear to the tune of seven-lengths in what was perceived as a deeply competitive contest.

He has shown some pleasing form since going chasing, including when fourth behind next-time-out Grade 1 scorer Caldwell Potter in the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

He was second home in the Ascot Stakes on the Flat at last month's Royal meeting and broke his duck over fences at Killarney in novice company this month.

Now he's set to try and become the first horse since Ansar for Dermot Weld to win the Galway Hurdle and Plate.

Sylkie

There's no shortage of Flat racing at Galway over the coming week and one horse who will attract plenty of attention is Sylkie.

The Starspangledbanner filly runs for trainer Danny Howard and made quite the name for herself in 2024 by winning three races at Galway from three attempts.

They all came over the extended-mile trip, starting with the Village Salthill Handicap for three-year-olds at this meeting.

She would return to win again in September and October despite defeats at Tramore and the Curragh in between her Galway exploits.

She started 2025 contesting a handicap at Cork off a mark of 79, but hasn't impressed in four runs and now lurks off 68, 2lb lower than her most recent Galway success.

The Sylkie Syndicate will be hoping their star turn is ready to return to Ballybrit and catch fire.