Helvic Dream 'in great form' after Galway Hurdle reverse Noel Meade reports Helvic Dream “in great form” following a controversial finish to the Guinness Galway Hurdle and is considering a number of targets both over hurdles and on the Flat next month. The eight-year-old gelding, who landed the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup back in 2021, was demoted to second for causing interference in the closing stages after beating Ndaawi by a head in the Galway Festival feature. “Helvic Dream still thinks he won the Galway Hurdle and is in great form,” said Meade. “He may run in the Irish Cesarewitch, or he might go for the handicap hurdle in Listowel. He has a couple of options and is also in the mile and five race (Petingo Handicap) in Leopardstown.” The Castletown trainer endured a frustrating Galway Festival with Jesse Evans beating all bar Western Fold in the other highlight at Ballybrit, the Tote Galway Plate. “I don’t really know where he’s going to go. The Champion Chase in Gowran in the first week of October seems to be the one we’re thinking about,” said Meade of Jesse Evans. “We might put him in a Flat race, but I’m inclined not to as he’s not as fast as he was and he jumps so well. Jumping gives him a big advantage, and I’d just be worried if I ran him in Flat races that it might knock the edge off him. “He’d probably be topweight in a Kerry National and it might be a bit too far.” Meade landed the Plate last year with Pinkerton but the son of Ocovango, who has not been seen since February, is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. “He’s out for the season. He got an infection all though his body and it’s been very hard to get rid of it.”
