The Galway Plate is one of the feature contests across the iconic week-long Galway Festival.
With almost €160,000 up for grabs, it sits alongside the Galway Hurdle -- taking place the following day -- as the most lucrative race at the meeting.
Gordon Elliott is the winning-most trainer in the history of the race, taking his tally to five when Western Fold landed the spoils last year and he has a fascinating contender towards the front of the betting.
Nowwhatdoyouthink (8/1) made rapid progress through the chasing ranks when trained by Ray Hackett, finishing third in the Grade 1 Punchestown Champion Novice Chase before making the switch to Cullentra House.
He has a clear liking for quick ground and if the form of that Punchestown run is to be taken literally, then he has to have a chance.
Taking on Elliott at the top of the market is, rather unsurprisingly, Willie Mullins. The master trainer is fresh off the back of his 20th Irish National Hunt Trainers' Championship win and is aiming to make a sizeable dent in the prize money race even at this early stage.
Funiculi Funicula (11/2) is seeking a hat-trick over fences following victories at Cork and Punchestown, impressing in the latter when he comfortably defeated British raider Norn Iron.
The Cheltenham Festival is very much in the rear view mirror now, however, punters who are able to recall the Plate will be familiar with Will The Wise (15/2) and Downmexicoway (7/1). The latter, handled excellently by Gavin Cromwell, trailed a well-handicapped winner in Madara before turning the form in the Topham at Aintree just one month later.
Old favourite Jesse Evans (14/1) also appears, bidding to shake her bridesmaid tag and finally land one of the big two races at the meeting. Now 10 years old, he finished runner-up on two occasions in the Galway Hurdle before suffering yet another agonising defeat at the hands of Western Fold in 2025.
There would not be a more popular winner among the packed crowds than Noel Meade's stable legend.
Galway Plate betting odds
(Odds will display when market is available)
Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.
