Mullins bidding to serve it up to Plate rivals with nap hand

Willie Mullins will be looking to take control of the Tote.com Galway Plate next Wednesday – and he has already taken control of the weights.

Ireland's champion trainer could be nap-handed in pursuit of the €147,500 to-the-winner prize, while last year's third Ballycasey is set to line up again under top weight of 11st 10lb.

This means stablemate Shaneshill – the shortest-priced Mullins-trained contender at 10-1 – would shoulder 11st 3lb.

Mullins, who achieved his only win in the race with Blazing Tempo in 2011, said: “The plan is to run Ballycasey and Alelchi Inois, who was second a year ago.

“We’re also looking at running Shaneshill, Arbre De Vie and Haymount, but Townshend might go for a novice chase instead.”

Shaneshill, who won the Prix La Barka at Auteuil in May before running third in the French Champion Hurdle last month, has not run over fences since finishing second to Blaklion in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham last year.

Shaneshill: is back over fences at KillarneyCredit: Patrick McCann

A five-time winner since chasing home Lord Scoundrel and Alelchi Inois, also trained by Mulllins, in the Plate a year ago, Ballycasey last saw action when scoring at Killarney in May.

Whether Clondaw Warrior bids for back-to-back wins in the Guinness Galway Hurdle on the Thursday has not been decided. The versatile ten-year-old is joint top weight, on 11st 10lb, for Ireland’s most valuable hurdle race, on a mark 12lb higher than last year.

Mullins said: “He has other options at Galway and we haven’t made a plan for him just yet.

“The same applies to a few of our other Galway Hurdle entries, including Renneti and Airlie Beach. Like Clondaw Warrior, they have entries on the Flat during the week.

“However, we're planning to run Max Dynamite, who was second in the race two years ago.”

Max Dynamite, pictured chasing home Quick Jack in the 2015 Galway Hurdle, will be having his first start since over jumps in the same race next weekCredit: Patrick McCann

Max Dynamite has not run over hurdles since finishing well to chase home Quick Jack in the big Galway event in 2015. Runner-up in the Melbourne Cup later that year, the seven-year-old has not raced since his tenth in last year’s Ascot Gold Cup.

Swamp Fox, winner of the Connacht Hotel Amateur Riders' Handicap on the Flat on the opening day of the festival a year ago, may bid for back-to-back wins on Monday.

The versatile five-year-old, who scored for the fourth time over hurdles at last week’s Killarney festival, has other entries next week, including the Galway Hurdle.

Trainer Joe Murphy said: “We’re looking at running Swamp Fox a couple of times at Galway. I thought getting 8lb for his win at Killarney was a bit steep and we’ll wait a bit longer before finalising plans.

“He’s also in the Guinness Handicap over a mile and a half on the Friday night, so we've options. But running on Monday night and in the Galway Hurdle is the plan if we’re happy with him."

The ground at Galway on Tuesday was good on the chase and hurdle tracks, and good to yielding on the Flat course. Rain was forecast for Tuesday night.