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Nolan hoping Seahorse can make waves at Galway

HMS Seahorse routed his rivals at the Curragh last month
HMS Seahorse routed his rivals at the Curragh last month
© Healy Racing Photos

Trainer Paul Nolan has won the Guinness Galway Hurdle with three different horses in a five year stretch from 2002-2006 and he has a good chance of making it four next week with the very talented HMS Seahorse, who is likely to get into the race off a very nice handicap mark.

The Galileo colt was last seen bolting up in a premier handicap at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend. a performance which saw his Flat mark raised 19lb to 101. On his previous outing he was third to Vauban in the Grade 1 four-year-old hurdle at Punchestown and is currently rated 132 over hurdles.

Nolan is confident about his chances in a race which is very close to his heart.

”He was a consistent horse on the Flat for Aidan O'Brien being placed in four of his five starts. We picked him up (for £24,000) from John Halley in Newmarket.

"He's been consistent over hurdles too. He was fourth in the Boodles where he was pushed out very wide after a false start, hit the last and stall wasn't beaten far in what looked a competitive contest.

"We entered him in the Galway Hurdle but didn't think he would get into it. In other years he wouldn't have but this year, because it's probably a smallish entry of thirty-six, he does get into it.

"He looks to be getting into it off bottom weight at the moment which would leave it very hard not to run him in it”

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.