The highlight of the week at Ballybrit comes in the form of The Galway Hurdle and we take a deep dive ahead of the 2024 contest, which is run over a frantic two miles and one of the feature races . We will highlight the trainers and jockeys to follow for the race and which trends can help you find the winner. The race is due off on Thursday 1st August, which is Day 4 of the Galway Races Summer Festival 2024.
The 2m Handicap Hurdle has been dominated in recent years by Irish Champion Trainer Willie Mullins, who has replaced Dermot Weld as the dominating force over the seven-day meeting, and combined with stable jockey Paul Townend to win last year’s Galway Hurdle with Zarak The Brave.
Galway Hurdle: Past Winners
Galway Hurdle winners
Galway Hurdle: Trainers to Follow
As you can see from the last 10 winners of the Galway Hurdle, if you followed Tony Martin and Willie Mullins for the last decade you would have cleaned up. Martin is currently suspended until mid-August but he won four Galway Hurdles since 2014 and if a horse he formerly trained lines up, the advice is to watch the market very closely.
Willie Mullins needs no introduction and the master of Closutton has notched up five Galway Hurdle victories since 2016. The handicap is typically won by a quality horse masking as a handicapper so don’t be afraid to look at horses near the top of the weights. All in all here, the stats suggest side with a Willie Mullins horse or one that was trained by Tony Martin.
It’s also worth mentioning the top trainers who could be worth avoiding this year. Gordon Elliott (0-33) has had no luck in the contest and even the King of Galway himself Dermot Weld (0-13) has struggled.
Galway Hurdle: Jockeys to Follow
Who would have thought that the most successful rider in the Galway Hurdle in recent times would be Patrick Mullins, an amateur in status but by no means an amateur, that’s for sure. Mullins rode Sharjah (2018), Aramon (2020) and Saldier (2021) to victory so it will be very interesting to see what ride he picks up this year.
Paul Townend rode Zarak The Brave to victory last year so he’s worth considering, and if the stats are anything to go by then whatever Mark Walsh rides might be worth taking on as he is 0-10 in the big handicap but should pick up a decent ride for JP McManus.
Galway Hurdle: Horse to Follow
One horse who has had his eyes on this prize for quite some time is Willie Mullins’ Daddy Long Legs, who bolted up in a Listed handicap hurdle at Punchestown in April. He was clearly thrown in off a mark of 135 on the day as it wasn’t long before that he was sent off the 9/4 favourite for a Grade 1 at Leopardstown at Christmas. Clearly not himself when well beaten in the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary when last seen, he can bounce back to form at Galway and could still be thrown in off his current mark.
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