Tony Martin going 'all guns blazing' in bid for fourth Galway Hurdle
When it comes to preparing a runner for a crack at the Guinness Galway Hurdle (5.05 Thursday), there are few who have mastered the art better than Tony Martin.
His record in the two-mile handicap is excellent having won it three times in six years with Thomas Edison (2014), Quick Jack (2015) and Tudor City (2019), and this year he is readying the latter for a repeat success.
Owner John Breslin and Martin have a successful association with Galway, especially in the Guinness-backed highlight, and the pair are bidding for a third victory together in the €270,000 race on Thursday.
Tudor City was electrifying when landing the event three years ago, coming from off the pace under a brilliant Robbie Power ride to fly home and win by half a length from Due Reward.
This will be the ten-year-old's fourth outing in the Galway Hurdle after finishing seventh and fifth in the last two runnings, while he also has the 2015 Arthur Guinness handicap on his Galway CV.
Tudor City is a 16-1 chance with Paddy Power to land the race for the second time.
Martin said: “He ran very well in it last year and wasn’t beaten too far. He won it two years before, so he’s going back for another whack at it.
“He’s guaranteed a run so, bar an accident, it’s all guns blazing. He’s in good form at home and we’re looking forward to him.”
The son of Yeats has been in fine fettle this season and Martin says he is in top form ahead of Thursday’s assignment.
He said: “He ran a cracker in the Curragh in the Amateur Derby and won nicely at Punchestown before that. He’s come out of those races well and gets in off a nice weight so, touch wood, all will go well.”
Tudor City is the only former winner among the 33 left in contention for Thursday’s showpiece, with the Willie Mullins-trained Adamantly Chosen the ante-post favourite.
John McConnell hopes to land the Galway Hurdle for the first time with Scottish Champion Hurdle heroine Anna Bunina, a winner at Bellewstown this month.
The six-year-old is also entitled to the €25,000 Bar One Racing bonus if she adds the Galway Hurdle to her Bellewstown success, and McConnell feels it’s a race that will play to her strengths.
He said: “We’re very happy with her work. A fast-paced race will suit her as she’ll be staying on at the end of it.
“I think she’ll cope with Galway fine. She’s well used to the undulations. There is a question mark whether she’s better going left handed, but there’s nothing we can do about that.
“She’s been a stalwart for us this season and we’re going to let her take her chance.”
Galway starts on Monday and the going is good on the jumps track and good to yielding on the Flat course. However, there is expected to be between 14mm and 18mm of rain over the weekend.
Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer said: “We’re monitoring the situation very closely in relation to watering. If the forecast is correct, we’re looking at slow ground for the Flat and the easy side of good for jumps on Monday. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens between now and then.”
Guinness Galway Hurdle (Thursday, July 28)
Paddy Power: 6 Adamantly Chosen, 13-2 Santa Rossa, 8 HMS Seahorse, Party Central, My Mate Mozzie, 10 Farout, 11 Hors Piste, 12 Echoes In Rain, Tax For Max, Saint Roi, 14 Celestial Horizon, Jesse Evans, Shewearsitwell, The Tide Turns, 16 bar
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