Road To Riches back on track for Plate
NOEL MEADE believes Road To Riches is finally back to himself ahead of TheTote.com Galway Plate tomorrow week.
Winner of the valuable handicap in 2014, he has not won a race of any description since November 2015, but Meade believes his problems are now behind him.
“He had a problem last year after he got a very bad fall at Punchestown. We couldn’t get him looking well or right all year,” said Meade.
“It transpired that his spleen had moved over to the other side of his stomach, but we didn’t find that out until the spring of this year.
“Since we got that sorted he really has turned inside out and he looks more like his old self. He’s been working very well and we have been very happy with him.”
Road To Riches (11st 6lb) is one of 47 entries which includes the first three home 12 months ago – Gordon Elliott’s Lord Scoundrel, Willie Mullins’s Alelchi Inois (both 11st 6lb) and top weight Ballycasey.
In all, Elliott has four entries compared to Mullins’s eight, which also includes Shaneshill.
Jessica Harrington has entered Sandymount Duke and Rock The World, with Slowmotion a possible for Joseph O’Brien.
Possibles from Britain include Henryville, Ballybolley, Vintage Vinnie, Art Of Payroll and last Saturday’s impressive Market Rasen winner Alcala for Paul Nicholls.
Evan Williams has an outing in Thursday week’s Guinness Galway Hurdle under serious consideration for John Constable.
Although plans for the six-year-old remain fluid, the Llancarfan handler is giving serious thought to a tilt at the valuable two-mile handicap hurdle, for which he has been allotted joint top weight with last year’s winner Clondaw Warrior.
The Dai Walters-owned son of Montjeu backed up his win in the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock in May when carrying top weight to glory in the Summer Hurdle at Market Rasen.
Williams said: “The Galway Hurdle has been discussed, but I would like to talk to Davy [Russell] and Dai in a week’s time. We will leave him in the race and go from there.”
Williams has also entered Court Minstrel (11st), with Fergall (10st 10lb), Zubayr (10st 10lb), Project Bluebook (10st 5lb) and Shrewd (10st 1lb) other possible British raiders.
Along with Clondaw Warrior, Mullins could run Ivan Grozny (11st 5lb), Airlie Beach (10st 10lb), Max Dynamite (10st 10lb) and Pique Sous (10st 3lb).
Tony Martin is likely to rely on former winner Thomas Edison and Pyromaniac to give Martin a third Galway Hurdle win in four years.
Thomas Edison is now a 10-yearold but is still 9lb higher than when successful three years ago.
Swamp Fox (11st 3lb), Plint (10st 11lb) and Ornua (10st 7lb) are others to note among the 40 entries.