Heavy ground for start of the Galway festival after 21mm of rain hits track

The Galway festival will start on testing ground on Monday after the track was hit by 21mm of rain since Sunday morning.

The ground is soft on the jumps track and heavy on the Flat course as the seven-day meeting begins with seven races starting at 5.10.

Speaking on Monday morning, clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer said: "Since 8am yesterday morning we've had 21mm of rain and the going is now soft on the National Hunt track and heavy on the Flat course. 

"There is the potential for 2-5mm of rain today and then it will be dryish on Tuesday with another band of rain on Tuesday night into Wednesday."

The wet weather will cause a change in the running order to Wednesday's Tote Galway Plate card.

Wyer added: "We're going to tweak the running order for Wednesday, essentially running the Flat racing ahead of the Galway Plate and finishing off with the hurdle races after the Plate."

The feature race on Monday is the €110,000 Connacht Hotel Handicap (6.40) for amateur riders in which last year's winning duo Willie and Patrick Mullins team up with Lot Of Joy.

Read these next:

'He has the makings of a nice novice hurdler' - Willie Mullins unleashes son of Annie Power in festival opener 

'She has a bit of class' - can Patrick Mullins enhance his sensational stats on Lot Of Joy? 

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