Galway Tips: Mark Milligan is firing two darts at Wednesday's Plate

Mark Milligan
26 July 2022
4:00 min read

Mark Milligan has three selections at Galway on Wednesday

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Mark Milligan has taken a look at Wednesday's Galway card and has two fancies in the big race...

"This is a young chaser who could well make his mark at the top level throughout the coming winter and, if that's to be the case, he'd have to go be going very close off this sort of mark"

Wednesday's 22-runner 2m 6f Galway Plate (18:40) is as competitive as you'd expect for a handicap chase that boasts a total prize fund of €270,000, with cases to be made for plenty of the runners at the Ballybrit track.

For such an open contest, it's probably best we fire a couple of darts and hope one of them hits the bullseye.

Unfortunately, the market has already wised up to Cape Gentleman, who is now favourite, but I still think he'll take a world of beating and could well have got in lightly from a mark of 152 for his first handicap chase.

Although he has form on left-handed tracks, Cape Gentleman appears to be much better going right-handed and he'd likely have played a big part in the finish of the Grade 1 Drinmore at Fairyhouse last time if not coming to grief four from home.

He'd previously been put in his place by Riviere D'etel at Punchestown but was attempting to concede that smart mare 18lb over an inadequate trip and is much better judged on his 14-length beating of Run Wild Fred at Cork the time before.

This is a young chaser who could well make his mark at the top level throughout the coming winter and, if that's to be the case, he'd have to go be going very close off this sort of mark.

No. 5

Cape Gentleman (Ire)

Trainer: Emmet Mullins, Ireland
Jockey: Donagh Meyler
Age: 6
Weight: 11st 4lbs
OR: 152

Ash Tree Meadow also worth backing

Gordon Elliott has won the Plate three times and holds a strong hand this year with Ash Tree Meadow, Battleoverdoyen and Hurricane Georgie representing the Cullentra handler.

We know plenty about Battleoverdoyen and he looks up against, though the other two are both upwardly mobile and come into this on three-race winning streaks.

Hurricane Georgie is a useful chaser who brought up a quick-fire hat-trick in a decent handicap chase at Kilbeggan last time, that win coming on the heels of a pair of hurdle wins.

She's still only a 5-y-o so clearly may well have more to offer, though will find this tougher off a 12lb higher mark.

I prefer the claims of the other in-form Elliott runner Ash Tree Meadow, who himself completed a hat-trick at Killarney last time, having plenty in hand over the final winning margin of 6 lengths.

Prior to that, the son of Bonbon Rose had won with ease at Perth a couple of times and has struck as the type to hold his own in better company.

He's off a mark of 144 here and I suspect there's still room for manoeuvre from that sort of mark if he copes with the hustle and bustle of this much bigger field, something that we'll obviously need to take on trust.

No. 19

Ash Tree Meadow (Fr)

Trainer: Gordon Elliott, Ireland
Jockey: Sean Flanagan
Age: 6
Weight: 10st 10lbs
OR: 144

Weld filly to make amends

Back on the flat, I'm giving Ezine another chance in the 1m 123yds handicap (19:50) despite her slightly disappointing run when only fifth at Gowran last time, albeit with excuses.

Dermot Weld's daughter of Showcasing made a highly promising start to her career when runner-up to Oaks winner Tuesday at Nass in March and was then off the mark at the second attempt with a gritty success in a maiden at the same track in May.

She looked to have been treated pretty fairly for her handicap debut off a mark of 85, though things went wrong right from the off there as she was a bit slow to go and then suffered some early interference, too.

It looks significant that she's been given a bit of a break since then, particularly when you consider that Dermot Weld tends to target this meeting like no other through the summer, and she could well have been freshened with exactly this target in mind.

Ezine's draw also looks good as she breaks from stall 2 and provided she's away a bit better than last time, she should take plenty of beating in a race where most of her rivals are much more exposed.

No. 2 (2)