Riches On The Road To Regain Galway Plate

The Sussex Stakes is a race not to be missed as it once again pitches the three major Guineas winners up against one another and while seeing them finish in the same order as they did at Royal Ascot, a reversal could well be on the cards.

Gurkha Goes For Gold
At Royal Ascot, in the St James’s Palace Stakes, Frankie Dettori certainly got himself into the box seat aboard Galileo Gold and it was a position he made full use of when kicking for home at his own will. He saw off The Gurkha and Awtaad whose connections both might have felt things could have been different.

The Sussex Stakes may prove beyond any doubt that Galileo Gold (2/1) is the best of the three but…

at 2/1 The Gurkha is picked to come out on top this time around.

Both Galileo Gold and Awtaad (7/1) have been kept for this race since Royal Ascot where as The Gurkha was stepped up in trip against the older horses in the Eclipse at Sandown and while he had to settle for minor honours that day too, he lost little in defeat and can return to winning ways this time around.

Bolger On The Hunt
Qatari Hunter is 7/1 to continue his winning sequence as Jim Bolger steps the three-year-old into Group 3 level after racking up an impressive four-timer in handicaps, but this is another level again and while Qatari Hunter goes up in class, it could well be another one for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore as Shogun drops in class following three efforts in classics.

Shogun wasn’t mapped behind Harzand at Epsom or Awtaad in the Irish 2,000 Guineas but the 7/2 favourite Ulysses was beaten a fair way at Epsom also and is half Shogun’s price.

The 6/1 about the son of Fastnet Rock makes appeal.

Noel To Lick The Plate
Road To Riches has been here and worn the t-shirt and since gone on to wear even more impressive ones but there is something about Galway that keeps pulling you back and having won a couple of Grade Ones, Road To Riches is now back to try and regain the Galway Plate, this time with top weight on his back.

Noel Meade loves Galway and if this plan comes off he’ll be sure to make his feelings about Ballybrit well known, and although Meade’s stable star has to defy a lot of stats and is a short enough price at 7/2, he really is going to be impossible to beat if bringing anywhere near his best form to this table.

One at a bigger price if you want to take on the favourite is Colin Bowe’s Shantou Flyer.

Already a course and distance winner, Shantou Flyer is a six-year-old who could well continue to progress into a good money spinner at his own grade and with a lovely racing weight on his back, the 14/1 on offer for him on Wednesday is a good each-way alternative to Road To Riches.

Galway Gent
After just getting pipped at Naas last time out the Ger Lyons-trained Tony The Gent can go one better in the penultimate race of day three.

Ger Lyons doesn’t send a big team to this meeting but Tony The Gent is a progressive three-year-old who can exploit his mark of 89 against his own age group. The Moore Factor is sure to be popular and Tony The Gent does have a poor draw to overcome but for a trainer and jockey in form he is picked to get back into the number one spot.

Recommended Bets:
Shogun 6/1 (2.35 Goodwood)
The Gurkha 2/1 (3.10 Goodwood)
Road to Riches 7/2 (5.30 Galway)
Shantou Flyer each way 14/1 (5.30 Galway)
Tony the Gent 6/1 (6.40 Galway)

*Prices correct at time of publication.