Gordon Elliott previews his runners ahead of Friday’s card at Galway, with his best chance being Jawbox in the 20:15
17:15 Silver Star and Enzani
Silver Star has plenty of weight but I think he could run well. He came back from a long time off with a good run on the flat in June and next time at Bellewstown he didn’t run as well as I’d hoped. He is better than he showed there though and this probably isn’t as good a race. Also if you go back through his form he has a few runs that would give him a chance at this level and I think he has an each way chance.
Enzani is another horse who had been off for a long time prior to showing up well in a handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan a few weeks ago. That run looks to have brought him and he seems to be in good form so I’d be hoping for an improved effort here. This is a better race than the Kilbeggan one but I do think he has a realistic chance of getting involved.
17:45 Star Maker and Ardamir
Star Maker hasn’t run since last November and ideally I’d probably have liked a couple of more weeks before running him but on the other hand he does tend to run very well fresh. He was fourth in this race last year when the race wasn’t run to suit and he did also win a good handicap hurdle at Killarney in May 2019 and if he can run to the level he showed there he will not be far away. He is a horse that likes to be held up and at Galway you need a bit of luck with these horses but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him thereabouts at the finish.
Ardamir won a decent handicap hurdle at Bellewstown last time out. This race is more competitive but a seven pounds rise in the weights for winning last time doesn’t look too harsh. He has only run three times for us and two of those three runs have been good ones so hopefully there’s a bit more to come from him and I could see him running well.
18:15 Recent Revelations
I think he is a horse who will stay beyond two and a half miles which is why we have opted for this race and over this longer trip he might jump a little more fluently which has been an issue for him in the past. He doesn’t have all that much handicap experience but he did run well in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham and I’ve been happy enough with his two runs this summer. He’s got to improve for this but I think he might have a bit more to offer at this distance and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him show up well.
18:45 Global Jackpot
He hasn’t done as well over fences as I would have hoped but he has bits of form as a chaser that would give him a live chance here and this might just be one of the weaker races that he has contested as a chaser. His run at Tipperary last time behind a high class hurdler in Davids Charm was quite a reasonable one and he should improve for what was his first run since November.
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19:15 Mengli Khan and The Storyteller
Mengli Khan isn’t the easiest to predict but he did at least enjoy a confidence boosting run at Kilbeggan last time when he won a conditions hurdle. As a chaser his form tailed off badly last winter which is why he switched back to hurdles but I’m hoping Kilbeggan will have sweetened him up. On his day he is a high class and if he could get back to the form that saw him reach the frame in Grade 1s at Cheltenham and Aintree last year he would have a great chance.
The Storyteller runs in the Plate on Wednesday and I’ve just declared him here in case anything goes amiss with him early on in the Plate. We’ll just get Wednesday out of the way and see how he is following the Plate before making any decision regarding whether he runs here.
19:45 Creadan Grae and Mighty Stowaway
Creadan Grae is a grand horse on his day but all of his wins have come over fences at Perth and he just seems to find it hard to win at home. He will improve plenty from his run in the Midlands National but this is another competitive race and he has his share of weight so I’m hoping he will run a solid race but I feel there will be a few too strong for him here.
Mighty Stowaway is a horse that’s come to us in the last couple of months and he was a useful sort for John Hanlon for whom he did very well in point-to-points last winter. On his best form on the track he wouldn’t be without a chance and while we are still learning about him I think he could give quite a good account of himself.
20:15 Jawbox
He fell at the first in a Kilbeggan maiden hurdle last time and it might do his confidence some good to revert to bumpers. I thought he might win first time out at Limerick when he ran a solid race and next time at Bellewstown I’d say he was just beaten by a smart mare. He’s getting plenty of allowances here so I could see him running very well if he puts his best foot forward.
