Article looks the real deal

John McIntyre

TOP cross channel National Hunt trainers Paul Nicholls and David Pipe have the Tote sponsored Galway Plate – the richest steeplechase on the summer racing calendar – firmly in their sights at Ballybrit next week.

Nicholls, who saddled Oslot to land the Plate in 2008, is set to be represented by current ante post favourite, Rebel Du Maquis, a French import which hacked up from Invisible Man in Stratford in May and has a progressive profile.

Even more impressive on his last outing was the Pipe trained Qulinton, a 19 lengths winner from a decent field in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen last Saturday and is now destined for Galway to contest next Wednesday’s €200,000 feature.

But Rebel Du Maquis and Qulinton will both have to repel a strong home challenge, headed by Majestic Concorde, Captain Cee Bee, a short head winner of the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary last Sunday and also entered in the Guinness Hurdle, and Dancing Tornado.

Yet, it could pay to row in behind course specialist Bahrain Storm despite the eight-year-old’s relative inexperience over the larger obstacles. Winner of the Galway Hurdle in 2009 and second in the race last year, Pat Flynn’s charge underlined his current well being with a solid effort in justifying favouritism at Killarney earlier in the month.

Owned by the Sweeney family in Loughrea, Bahrain Storm has escaped a penalty for that success and though, like top weight Captain Cee Bee, has his stamina to prove, he is attractively handicapped and looks the one to beat. Eoin Griffin’s Lucky Wish, successful over three miles in Limerick in June, is another for the shortlist, while the Jessica Harrington Dundrum could be a lively outsider.

With last year’s impressive front-running winner Overturn more likely to head for the Goodwood Cup on the same day and Bahrain Storm bound for the Plate, the weights look set for a hefty rise in the €260,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle next Thursday.

Gordon Elliott’s Dirar, third in the race 12 months ago, is back for another crack while Dermot Weld’s Hidden Universe and Liam Mulryan’s Plan A are also featuring strongly in the ante post market. The teak-tough Gimli’s Rock, winner of a handicap on Irish Derby day at the Curragh, and the locally owned Action Master have been attracting support too.

But the big race favourite is The Real Article which really caught the eye after running Captain Cee Bee to a short head in the Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary after a hands and heels ride from Paddy Mangan. The 5lbs claimer was subsequently called before the Stewards to explain his handling of the exciting six-year-old.

Edward O’Grady’s charge was nearly two stone wrong at the weights, but this multiple bumper winner made a mockery of his rating and given that The Real Article will be racing off his old mark of 127 at Galway – he has been raised to 145 in future – he could be a blot on the handicap in Ireland’s richest National Hunt race.

Ask Jack, owned by Athenry businessman, Tom Howley Jnr, is set for another crack at the Topaz Mile Handicap on Tuesday evening. The money-spinning seven-year-old came home two and a half lengths clear of Mid Mon Lady in last year’s renewal and though gone up a stone in the ratings in the interim, looks to have been laid out again for the second-day Galway highlight, especially after his close up fourth behind Pirateer in the Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes at the Curragh last month.

Two interesting contenders have emerged for the Carlton.iegalwaycity Handicap, the feature on Monday evening’s card. Possible UK raider Praxiteles could have the assistance of top amateur jockey Derek O’Connor in the two mile event after recent wins at Bath and Ffos Las, while End Of The Affair may attempt to follow up an emphatic success in the Boyle Sports Handicap at Dundalk in mid-July.Naturally, the Dermot Weld

stable will again lack nothing in festival firepower and the Ballybrit specialist looks set to get the meeting off to a flyer in the four-year-old novice hurdle on Monday with UK import, Sulwaan, an impressive winner on his debut over the smaller obstacles in Sligo last Sunday week.

Weld, who has now won the Trainers’ Championship a staggering 26 times, turned out a record-breaking 11 winners at last’s year festival and has amassed a remarkable career total off 221 victories at Ballybrit – no wonder, he has been appointed an honorary member of the Galway Race Committee.

Novice chaser Air Chief, the David Marnane trained Jamesie, set to go for the Ladbroke’s seven furlong handicap next Saturday, recent Fairyhouse scorer Kalann, handicap hurdler, Alderwood, successful in Killarney last week, and Francis Flood inmate, Van Wyck, also triumphant at the Co. Kerry track, could all try to augment their summer pickings in Galway.

Local trainers came away from last year’s festival empty-handed, but Athenry based Val O’Brien is hopeful that Fair Dilemma, a comfortable winner of the Malton Handicap Hurdle at Killarney ten days ago, could follow up in a similar type event at Ballybrit. O’Brien is also optimistic about the festival prospects of Abarta which has been running with some consistency in maiden hurdles lately.