Adamantly Chosen, the choice of Paul Townend, is a tentative choice to give Willie Mullins a sixth Guinness Galway Hurdle.
Ireland’s champion trainer, who has won four of the last six runnings of the Hurdle, in addition to Mystical City’s victory in 1996, will saddle four today, with Adamantly Chosen and Sean O’Keeffe’s mount Heia looking his best prospects.
The selection is a five-year-old, with little mileage on the clock. Winner of the Land Rover Bumper at Punchestown on his debut, he was beaten on his first two hurdle starts – including a defeat by Ebasari in Cork at odds of 1/4.
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He won his maiden by 27 lengths at Thurles in February before being pitched into handicap company in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham, where he faded late to finish 11th behind compatriot
Banbridge.
Adamantly Chosen’s last run was at the Punchestown Festival when, held up, he plugged on late to fill fourth spot behind Camprond.
Those handicap runs were at trips beyond two miles. A keen-goer, I expect him to be more effective today on his return to the standard trip. Likely to be ridden prominently, the Well Chosen gelding has a big chance off 137, carrying 11-5.
His stable-companion Heia, one of five mares in the race, has solid credentials too, having finished second to one of today’s rivals Anna Bunina at Killarney in May before landing a mares event at Punchestown two weeks later.
Anna Bunina, winner of the Scottish Champion Hurdle and up 7lb for a last-time-out win in Bellewstown, and the fascinating, Dermot McLoughlin-trained Santa Rossa, are other mares with big chances.
Disappointing at Killarney in May, Santa Rossa bounced back to land the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle in
Tipperary last time, but went up 10lb for her troubles.
An early faller when favourite in the race two years ago, Felix Desjy, heading a five-strong bid by Gordon Elliott, is one of the more likely sorts near the top of the handicap while stable-companion Vina Ardanza has an each-way squeak.
In a wide-open race, cases can be made for most, including Tony Martin’s veteran Tudor City, 3lb lower than when landing this prize in 2019 and clearly in good fettle on the evidence of his win at Punchestown in May (off 128) and third to Common Practice in the Apprentice Derby at the Curragh.
My Mate Mozzie, representing Gavin Cromwell, is worthy of his position in the market, having been beaten a short-head in the Grade 1 Royal Bond late last year and primed for this test by two outings on the flat.
At his best, Jessica Harrington’s Autumn Evening would enter calculations, along with Jesse Evans, narrowly beaten on the flat in Killarney and bidding to give Noel Meade his first win in the race since 2005.
Meanwhile, The progressive, Joseph O’Brien-trained Night Of Romance might prove tough to beat in an ultra-competitive renewal of the listed Arthur Guinness Corrib Fillies Stakes.
A Night Of Thunder filly, she has won three times since arriving in Carriganog from Karl Burke’s and comes here on a hat-trick bid, having landed handicaps at Gowran Park and the Curragh both over today’s seven furlough distance.
She beat Pretty Rebel in Gowran. Up 9lb she followed-up at the Curragh on Derby weekend outpointing Needle Lace and Marbling, with a number of today’s rivals, Surrounding, Karkiyna and Emilie Gray behind.
Night Of Romance steps from handicap into stakes company today, which is never easy. But it looks a winnable contest and, with Dylan Browne McMonagle on board again, she should figure prominently in a race where Affogato and Nectaris are among the dangers.
A trio of dual chase-winners clash in a fascinating, Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase. And preference is for locally trained Sole Pretender, who has run creditably under big weights in two Galway Hurdles and has been successful over the bigger obstacles at Ballinrobe and Roscommon, before failing to cope with Santa Rossa in a Grimes Hurdle repeat bid in Tipperary.
The Paul Flynn-trained Plunkett, 8lb higher than when beating Earls readily in Leopardstown, is suited by coming from off a strong pace, a scenario which should develop in the Rockshore Handicap. And he’s a hopeful nap choice to score under Billy Lee.
Later, Denis Hogan’s Darkened, a narrow winner over hurdles on Monday (when his trainer/rider lost his whip on the run-in), should have solid prospects, reverting to the flat in the Guinness 0.0 per cent Handicap – although his two flat wins have been achieved over nine and seven furlongs respectively, the latter at this meeting in 2020.
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