Nurburgring Aims for Historic Galway Plate Double: Tips Inside

The Galway Races are a seven-day marathon of equine entertainment but there is one prize that stands tall above all the rest and on Wednesday evening a field of 22 hopefuls are set to tackle the Galway Plate test with €162,000 on offer to the winner.

Not since Ansar 21 years ago has any horse managed to complete the Galway Hurdle/Plate double but Joseph O'Brien's Nurburgring appears to harbour solid claims of ending that famine.

My Galway Plate NAP and Next Best are below for the big race in Ballybrit, which is due off at 18:40 on Wednesday evening.

Galway Plate Tips

NAP: Nurburgring

Next Best: Shecouldbeanything

6.402m. 6f. 111yds. 22 Declared.
Tote Galway Plate (H'cap S'chase) (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 - NH - Good. Flat - Yielding. Overcast

Formscan By Donal Murphy- Starting off in handicap company, DOWN MEMORY LANE could prove a class above his rivals. This race has probably been the target for quite some time, with the step-up in trip likely to play to his strengths. The selection is one of seven Gordon Elliott-trained representatives in the line-up, with his Three Card Brag another leading hope. The winner of the Galway Hurdle 12-months ago, it's easy to see why Nurburgring is the current market leader. The versatile five-year-old recently made the breakthrough over fences at Killarney and it'll come as no surprise if he manages to follow-up now. With Derek O'Connor an interesting jockey booking, Anyway warrants the utmost respect, while a case can be made for many others. Mayo National winner Western Fold, Midlands National hero Amirite, high class hurdler Buddy One and the Emmet Mullins-trained Sea Music are a few others for the shortlist in what is a typically competitive renewal of this summer highlight.

An extended handicap steeplechase for four years old and upwards that have run at least four times in steeplechases up to and including 20th July 2025
Penalties - Winner of a steeplechase or steeplechases after calculation of the handicap shall carry any penalty or penalties which may be allotted by the Handicapper.

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  Odds Shortening Odds Lengthening

8	16th	Down Memory Lane		11/2
6	p.u.	Nurburgring		11/2
15	9th	Thecompanysergeant		13/2
13	u.r.	Anyway		15/2
3	2nd	Jesse Evans		9/1
7	6th	Buddy One		10/1
21	p.u.	Olympic Man		14/1
4	1st	Western Fold		14/1
20	5th	Sea Music		16/1
12	12th	Jazzy Matty		16/1
9	8th	Three Card Brag		16/1
14	fell	Common Practice		20/1
19	b.d.	Adamantly Chosen		20/1
11	10th	Ashdale Bob		25/1
2	7th	Zanahiyr		25/1
5	4th	Amirite		33/1
16	11th	Duffle Coat		40/1
17	3rd	Shecouldbeanything		40/1
22	15th	Gaelic Arc		50/1
18	p.u.	Zenta		50/1
1	14th	Senecia		50/1
10	13th	Chemical Energy		66/1
24	n.r.	Arctic Fly		22/1
23	n.r.	The Goffer		25/1
25	n.r.	Watch The Weather		40/1
Betting Percentage				138%
Each-Way Terms				6 1/5

 

8

Down Memory Lane 8

11/2

16th

Rating: 145

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11/2

6 1/5

6

Nurburgring 6

11/2

p.u.

Rating: 146

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11/2

6 1/5

15

Thecompanysergeant 9

13/2

9th

Rating: 141

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13/2

6 1/5

13

Anyway 8

15/2

u.r.

Rating: 141

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15/2

6 1/5

3

Jesse Evans 10

9/1

2nd

Rating: 148

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9/1

6 1/5

7

Buddy One 9

10/1

6th

Rating: 145

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10/1

6 1/5

21

Olympic Man 9

14/1

p.u.

Rating: 137

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14/1

6 1/5

4

Western Fold 7

14/1

1st

Rating: 148

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14/1

6 1/5

20

Sea Music 8

16/1

5th

Rating: 138

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16/1

6 1/5

12

Jazzy Matty 7

16/1

12th

Rating: 142

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16/1

6 1/5

9

Three Card Brag 9

16/1

8th

Rating: 145

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16/1

6 1/5

14

Common Practice 7

20/1

fell

Rating: 141

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20/1

6 1/5

19

Adamantly Chosen 9

20/1

b.d.

Rating: 139

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20/1

6 1/5

24

Arctic Fly 8

n.r.

Rating: 134

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23

The Goffer 9

n.r.

Rating: 135

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11

Ashdale Bob 11

25/1

10th

Rating: 142

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25/1

6 1/5

2

Zanahiyr 9

25/1

7th

Rating: 149

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25/1

6 1/5

5

Amirite 10

33/1

4th

Rating: 146

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33/1

6 1/5

25

Watch The Weather 10

n.r.

Rating: 134

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16

Duffle Coat 9

40/1

11th

Rating: 140

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40/1

6 1/5

17

Shecouldbeanything 9

40/1

3rd

Rating: 140

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40/1

6 1/5

22

Gaelic Arc 10

50/1

15th

Rating: 130

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50/1

6 1/5

18

Zenta 7

50/1

p.u.

Rating: 140

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50/1

6 1/5

1

Senecia 9

50/1

14th

Rating: 150

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50/1

6 1/5

10

Chemical Energy 10

66/1

13th

Rating: 143

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66/1

6 1/5

Nurburgring primed for Galway double

Not since Ansar won the first of his two Galway Plates for Dermot Weld in 2004 has any horse completed the big-race double at Ballybrit.

NURBURGRING motored clear of the field to win the Galway Hurdle off a mark of 139 last summer, winning by a widening seven lengths, and Joseph O'Brien appears to have timed his run to perfection for this Ballybrit return.

He was still a raw four-year-old when winning at the course last summer and he took his time to find his stride over fences.

He was held in three Irish starts up to Christmas but returned fresh for a fine fourth at the Cheltenham Festival in March behind Caldwell Potter in the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, and the winner went on to land a Grade 1 at Aintree on his next start.

A couple of runs on the Flat followed for Nurburgring, notably finishing a neck-second in the Ascot Stakes off a mark of 93 last month.

He went to Killarney this month and opened his account over fences in cosy fashion in a 2m1f beginners' contest on yielding-to-soft ground and should be at fever pitch for this race.

He's 7lb higher than when winning over hurdles last summer and has to prove his stamina, but his Flat form and the manner in which he was coming up the Cheltenham hill in March over 2m41/2f are strong indicators he will last home.

Elliott's mare could be anything

Gordon Elliott has won this contest a joint-record four times, all his successes arriving in the last decade as Lord Scoundrel (2016), Clarcam (2018), Borice (2019) and Ash Tree Meadow (2023) picked up the Ballybrit honours.

The Cullentra handler is typically well represented now, with Zanahiyr Western Fold Down Memory Lane Three Card Brag Chemical Energy and Duffle Coat all guaranteed a run alongside SHECOULDBEANYTHING.

Cases can be made for plenty, with Down Memory Lane prominent in the betting, but the mare Shecouldbeanything is one that might be overpriced.

She was ninth here last summer as Nurburgring won the Galway Hurdle, seemingly lacking the tactical speed to go with the main protagonists.

After finishing second here on his chasing bow behind today's rival Jesse Evans the mare went on a four-race winning spree over fences, including a Tipperary Grade 3 novice at 2m4f and a Listed contest in Bangor-on-Dee over 2m11/2f when her stamina was a major factor.

She came up shy in graded races of good quality at Fairyhouse and Limerick afterwards, but her Christmas run over this sort of trip when third behind Bioluminescence was decent and she was conceding weight.

She was a good third behind Dinoblue in the Mares' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and didn't stay in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse over much further.

She has been freshened up since, no bad thing after a busy time, and could be on a workable mark off 140 with Jordan Gainford on board.