Galway plans coming to fruition for Samcro

SAMCRO has been given top weight in the Tote Galway Plate – with dual Grand National hero and ‘speculative entry’ Tiger Roll 3lb lower.

Both horses are currently in the care of Denise Foster, having been trained to major victories by Gordon Elliott.

The July 28 highlight of this year’s Galway Festival has long been Samcro’s aim, but whether Tiger Roll joins him there has yet to be decided.

‘It’s been the plan all summer to run Samcro – we assumed he’d have top weight,’ said Eddie O’Leary.

The racing manager for Gigginstown House Stud, who own both horses, along with another Galway possible Battleoverdoyen, expanded on the thinking.

‘It’s the plan with Samcro and if he’s ok he’ll run. It was only a speculative entry for Tiger Roll.

‘Battleoverdoyen is a classy horse too, but it’s all about his wind these days.’

Willie Mullins has the likes of Easy Game (11st 9lb), Brahma Bull (11st 6lb) and Royal Rendezvous (11st 5lb) towards the top of the weights in the Plate - while his nephew Emmet could run The Shunter (11st 4lb).

In the Guinness Galway Hurdle, two days later, Foster’s Petit Mouchoir and Willie Mullins’ Saldier are joint top-weights on 11st 10lb.

Norman Lee’s Sole Pretender is next in on 11st 5lb – while a rare UK-trained possible, Neil Mulholland’s Milkwood, winner of the Scottish Champion Hurdle, currently has 11st 2lb to carry.

Cheltenham and Aintree winner Belfast Banter (10st 13lb), 2020 Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory (10st 12lb) and Olly Murphy’s Swinton Hurdle hero Copperless (10st 9lb) are others to consider.