WELCOME TO THE GALWAY RACES

What a refreshing forum. I'm not sure what purpose it will serve, seeing as there will be no ante post markets on this meeting until the 18th of July or thereabouts. Nonetheless, I will post here regularly on all things Galway, including history, local hostelries, my own favourite watering holes, sports and fashion. Perhaps this forum is intended for general Galway 2011 advice and discussion, rather than the Galway races specifically?

I look forward to sharing my thoughts with all of you.

Hi galwayman

I know we're early for Galway, but what I have done is create a forum that changes from one jumps festival to the next - so it was Aintree, then Punchestown, now Galway. I couldn't think of anything big between now and then! (Correct me, please, if there is).

After Galway, it will change again - and so on.

Ahhhh, this time 11 weeks. You won't feel it!!! TGM, I look forward to viewing your insightful posts on the Galway Races.

Hi Betfair Community Manager 2

Fear not, I will populate this forum with stimulating discussion of all matters Galway over the coming weeks. Indeed it was only last night I was asking a colleague for a price on an ante post forecast on the Galway Hurdle (greed is good). As I say, In will not confine my musings to racing, but all things Galway.

Godspeed.

Hi galwayman

That should make good reading for a lot of people - Galway is a festival I have promised myelf I will get to one year.

Perhaps you could bring your elf with you?

Im making a sortie over, racing Tues Weds & Thurs ,never been b4 but buzzing at the thought ! Any campsites with van pitches and within taxi reach would be great galwayman.

Actually I quite fancy the hurlers this year with Kilkenny on the downslope (I feel)

Well as a notorious snob I'm not exactly au fait with where one might park one's caravan, but I think there is such a place in Salthill out near the Spinnaker somewhere.

Enjoy your trip.

Hard to fancy the hurlers after the last few league games. They were destroyed by half a Tipp team at home.

Hi galwayman

Maybe I'm missing the pun, but I don't get the elf comment!!

tgm is back!

Will Betfair be available on-course? I see a report wants Online & exchanges available on Irish Racecourses. http://bit.ly/kogEbx

Hi Betfair Community Manager 2

You suggested above that you had made a promise to your elf and I merely suggested that you should bring your elf with you.

Regards,

thegalwayman

Ah, I get it now - very droll!!

Interesting post at 13.33.

Surely that was no secret?

Accommodation Galway

Scroll down & click on either the Hotels Or B&Bs or Self-serving places


http://www.galwayraces.com/accommodation

Anyone got any good stories?! Kalingalinga was some plot when you look back on it. Market would have been strong at that time but was hammered in the space of 2 mins. Barney losing the rag and vowing never to return! I have never seen an easier winner of a flat handicap in all my days.

Pat Hughes Farmer Brown another favorite. Does Pat train now at all? It would be nice if some of these characters were recognised when they retired.
Mick Kinane coming up the stands side in the McDonagh was another favorite. Mickey Jow was the king of Ballybrit at the time. A class act. Manning was/is a disaster around the place.

Still trains an odd one. A good Galway trainer over the years and often had a very well backed winner over the course of the week. Spanish John and Helensburgh spring to mind.

Rapid Deployment landed some nice bets with his hurdles win as well.

DKW might bring failed Curragh gamble Fastidious for his favourite maiden though well beaten 2day.....

I came to Galway at the end of August last year as a precursor to coming to this years festival. Enjoyed that meeting so much I will be back this year. How The Lady Granuaile did not get the handicap hurdle on the day on objection I will never now. Maybe someone can enlighten me. Maybe Lorcan was viewing the replay on his short leg!

Mon July 25th Carlton.ie/galwaycity Handicap

First RACE 5.10pm

Last Race 8.35pm

Admission €20



Tues July 26th

Topaz Mile E.B.F. Handicap

5.10pm

8.35pm

€25



Wed July 27th

thetote.com Galway Plate

3pm

7.10pm

€30



Thurs July 28th

Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap

1.50pm

6.05pm

€30



Fri July 29th

Guinness Handicap

5.10pm

8.25pm

€25



Sat July 30th

Handicap Hurdle

2.25pm

5.30pm

€20



Sun July 31st

Connacht Tribune Handicap

2.20pm

5.25pm

€20


Turnstiles will open approximately two hours before the first race.

The Summer Festival Race Meeting at the Galway Races is renowned worldwide for its electric atmosphere, excellent racing and infectious sense of fun.


Celebrities can be seen sipping champagne by the Champagne Tent, the most conservative of us will be heard above the crowd as the horses round the bend into the home stretch. The Galway Races is certainly a festival for everyone. The Festival runs for seven consecutive days starting from the last Monday in July each year. We have race days at the Summer Festival which add fun and excitement to the event, take a look below under Special Race Days for more information on Ladies Day and Family Day including our very popular Mad Hatters competition.

Over 150,000 people attended the Summer Festival Meeting in 2010 where betting turnover reached great heights once again. The total prize fund for the fifty-one sponsored races reached an impressive €1.6 million. If you fancy a flutter while at the course, there are various options for placing a bet at the Galway Races; the Tote, on-course betting shops and on-course bookmakers.

Summer Festival Special Days at the Galway Races

Details on the special days held at the Summer Festival : Ladies Day and Family Day including our very popular Mad Hatters competition.

Summer Festival Competitions

Details on Race Card Competitions, Losing Tote Ticket Competitions, Best Turned out Horse, Leading Trainer and Leading Jockey awards

Weights announced for the tote.com Galway Plate and Guinness Galway Hurdle


Weights for thetote.com Galway Plate
and the Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap

Donald Mc Cain's Overturn will have to defy a stone extra if this versatile performer is to repeat last year's emphatic victory in the Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle, the richest National Hunt race in Ireland this year, at Ballybrit on Thursday fortnight.

The Cheshire-based habitual front runner can compete in the €260,000 feature of Galway's Summer Festival off top weight of 11-10 against a maximum of 19 rivals that may well include last year's second and third Bahrain Storm (11-5) and Dirar (10-1).

Senior Irish assessor Noel O'Brien has now raised Mc Cain's charge to a career-high mark here of 159 in the weights published today for the very valuable Guinness promotion which results in just 16 of the 40 other entries being currently in the handicap proper.

Successful for Pat Flynn's Co Waterford stable in the Guinness Hurdle two years ago from Deutschland (9-13), Bahrain Storm in contrast could tackle the previous afternoon's Tote Ireland-sponsored €200,000 Galway Plate instead off bottom weight of 9-10.

Conversely the Plate's current top weight Captain Cee Bee (11-10) from Edward Harty's Curragh yard might make a rare foray over hurdles with 10-11 on his back, 6lb below his previous best rating in this sphere, in the Thursday contest.

There's a more evenly-spread list of weights however for the Tote-backed historic event with a maximum field of 22 runners as 27 of the 59 entered figure among the leading two-stone range including last year's Tom Taaffe-trained hero Finger Onthe Pulse (10-8).

The Dermot Weld-trained Majestic Concorde (11-0) which landed the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown last Christmas and was a close third in the Plate 12 months ago has mirrored Finger Onthe Pulse's 9lb rise in Noel O'Brien's ratings in the interim.

The latter's owner J P McManus, no stranger to the winner's enclosure on Plate day, again has a formidable team to choose from with the likes of Dancing Tornado (10-7), Head Of The Posse (10-3) and Nicky Henderson's Aigle D'Or (9-11) backing up Finger Onthe Pulse.

Tote Jackpots for Summer Festival Meeting
Monday July 25th €30,000
Tuesday July 26th €30,000
Wednesday July 27th €40,000
Thursday July 28th €40,000
Friday July 29th €30,000
Saturday July 30th €20,000
Sunday July 31st €20,000

Wednesday Galway Plate: http://bit.ly/pIL2Jw


Thursday Galway Hurdle: http://bit.ly/n39ieP

Watering has commenced at Galway ahead of the seven day Festival meeting which starts next Monday evening.

The western track has avoided the heavy rain which hit the Dublin area yesterday, and the ground is currently described as good (good to firm in places).

The course has dried out significantly from earlier this week when the going report was good to yielding