David Jennings assesses the key players in the Galway Plate

6.45 Galway
Tote Galway Plate | Grade A | 2m6½f | 4yo+ | RTE2/RTV

This year's Galway Plate had very much centred on Galvin until the Gordon Elliott-trained favourite was declared a non-runner on Wednesday afternoon.

In his absence, focus falls on Willie Mullins' team of six, from which champion jockey Paul Townend has opted to ride Royal Rendezvous. That looks a shrewd choice. He is certainly better going this way around and, if he gets into a rhythm early, he could take some stopping.

Joseph O’Brien has made no secret of the fact that Us And Them has been laid out for the Galway Plate since his Grand Annual third but he has serious stamina questions to answer over this longer trip.

Perhaps Early Doors can be the one to hand O’Brien his first Plate. He has yet to win over fences, but is surely better than his mark of 139 suggests. A clean round of jumping should put him right in the mix and Mark Walsh has picked him.

What they say

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Jett
He has a touch of class and certainly wasn't disgraced in two Grade 1s behind Delta Work at Leopardstown when you last saw him. He's in great form at home.

Peter Fahey, trainer of Peregrine Run
He’s in brilliant, brilliant form and we’re just hoping the rain stays away. I genuinely think he’s got a great chance. It’s the Plate and there are dangers everywhere you look, but he couldn’t be going there in better form and we’re looking forward to it. He’s been the most unbelievable horse for us over the years.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of The Storyteller, Dinons, Three Musketeers and The Big Lense
The Storyteller is a class act on his day, as you saw at Cheltenham where he was just touched off in the Pertemps Final, and you can never rule him out of anything. Dinons is no back number either and he has some good back form. Three Musketeers is a horse I like and he would have been in front in another stride in the Midlands National. The Big Lense was fifth in that, but not beaten far, and he could run a big race.

Easy Game: has some classy form to his nameCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Willie Mullins, trainer of Easy Game, Robin Des Foret, Royal Rendezvous, Cabaret Queen, Livelovelaugh, Blazer
Easy Game has a touch of class. His runs over the winter entitle him to be running in this, that’s for sure. He has form at the track too which is always a help. Robin Des Foret travels and jumps well but has found the hill tough at Galway before, so that would have to worry you a bit. Royal Rendezvous is Paul’s [Townend] choice and you’d have to respect that. He won his maiden hurdle at Galway and obviously likes the place. He just missed the cut for Cheltenham, but won at Naas. He’s in good form. Summer conditions might suit Cabaret Queen better than other. Livelovelaugh was badly hampered at Cheltenham and ran very well in the circumstances. Don’t forget about Blazer. He’s not a bad horse at all and was second to Sharjah in a Galway Hurdle. I think he has a chance.

Joseph O’Brien, trainer of Us And Them, Mortal and Early Doors
This race has been the plan for Us And Them since Cheltenham. The ground looks like it’s going to dry out a bit which will suit him. Mortal is a little bit hit and miss, but he’s a good horse on his day and, like Us And Them, this has been the plan for him for quite a while. Early Doors lacks experience for a race like this and that worries me. Any rain that falls will help his chances.

Liam Cusack, trainer of Snugsborough Benny
His prep at Kilbeggan didn’t go according to plan. The ground was a bit quicker that we had hoped and Denis [O’Regan] looked after him after he made a mistake. He ran a cracker in this last year and, while he’s a bit higher in the handicap this time, he’s in good form and I’m happy with him. It’s great prize-money and hopefully we can get a bit of it.

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