Oscar Knight© Photo Healy Racing
JP McManus launches a seven-strong assault on the feature of today’s Ballybrit card, the Grade B Galway Shopping Centre Handicap Hurdle.
Remarkably six different trainers — Joseph O’Brien, Noel Meade, John Quinn, Nick Gifford, Gavin Cromwell and Tom Mullins are responsible for the green and gold army.
McManus was due to have nine runners but Hearts Are Trumps and Rock De Baune were both ruled out due to coughing.
The best that the Limerick man’s five could manage in 2018 was when Oscar Knight who goes for Tom Mullins and Niall Madden this time, came home in eighth place, with weight of numbers obviously being no guarantee of success.
O’Brien’s Plinth (13th) is back again too, but these are otherwise new McManus contenders for a prize-fund upped to 120,000 euros. Rashaan heads the weights for the extended two-and-three-quarter-mile heat and he’s not the only previous Galway scorer in the line-up as there are seven track victors in the mix.
One that hasn’t run at the western venue in the past, but warrants consideration, is Spades Are Trumps for McManus and Gavin Cromwell.
McManus was, as ever, sporting in defeat following the loss of his beloved Limerick hurlers to Kilkenny in the All-Ireland Semi-Final at Croke Park last Saturday.
A week on and he could see Spades Are Trumps, home-bred by his wife Noreen, get the job done under rising young star of the weighing room, Darragh O’Keeffe.
A win for the Yeats six-year-old would certainly be keeping it in the family. His year-older full-brother Ilikedwayurthinkin sluiced up for the same connections here on Wednesday, landing a significant gamble in the process.
Ilikedwayurthinkin is actually set to turn out quickly under a mandatory penalty at the final stage of the Festival on Sunday, so it could be a profitable few days for those involved all told.
Monday evening’s big winner under Jody Townend, Great White Shark is out again for Willie Mullins, this time with another of the County Cork family up, champion jockey Paul.
What has been an excellent week for owner John Breslin and trainer Tony Martin may get better with Mr Everest who will have Davy Russell in the plate, in the opening O’Leary Insurances Maiden Hurdle.
Matthew Smith ’s One Cool Poet is declared to bid for a third win at the 2019 extravaganza in the McDonogh Capital Investments Handicap.
As stated John Breslin and Tony Martin won’t forget this week in a hurry after wins for Tudor City and Upgraded. One Cool Poet will be bidding to join their mare, Busted Tycoon, three times a winner under different jockeys over the seven days in 2013.
