Hogan lines up Galway challengers
DENIS HOGAN has earmarked Macgiloney and Cafe Con Leche as two potential Galway Festival challengers.
Jumps racing is set to resume here on June 22 following the coronavirus shutdown and while Hogan expects to have some runners primed for action, the majority of his team will return in July.
Macgiloney is among that number, having won three times over hurdles and finished fourth on his first attempt over fences in March. Hogan said: ‘I’ll have a few ready for June 22, but the bulk of my summer jumps horses won’t be ready until July.
‘We’ve a few we’re looking forward to, including Macgiloney who was a decent novice hurdler last year and is going over fences now.
‘He’s an improving horse and we will be looking to Galway with him.’
Hogan also has one eye on Galway with Cafe Con Leche, who registered two wins in a fortnight before racing was halted.
‘Cafe Con Leche is another who we might head to Galway with,’ said Hogan.
‘He won twice over hurdles in March, the second time behind closed doors at Limerick before we stopped racing.’
Galway is scheduled to kick off on July 27 behind closed doors and Hogan is delighted it is set to go ahead.
He added: ‘I can’t imagine the summer without Galway. You have to hand it to them really as they make a lot of revenue from the crowds there, but look like going ahead anyway.’
THE British Horseracing Authority is confident racing will resume in Britain on June 1.
The UK government announced earlier this month that no professional sport, even behind closed doors, would take place before the first of next month.
The BHA on Saturday published its protocols for resuming behind closed doors at Newcastle on that date, and a spokesman said it had been recognised that racing differed in its makeup from sports such as football and rugby.