Jake Price's Thursday Betting Tip For Galway Handicap Hurdle

TIP 1: NDAAWI - 1pt EW (5 Places)

Best odds of 12/1 at bet365 while publishing.

Much like with the Plate a usually competitive field has been assembled for the Galway Hurdle, but there are equally still horses you can make cases against in order to narrow that field down to a much more palatable size. Chief in principle for me is El Cairos, who comes into this contest as a completely unexposed second season hurdler. Despite having a traditionally attractive profile for the race, his price of 9/2 is short however, and I can very much let him go. Had he been an 8/1 chance then there is a case to be made, but alas he falls by the wayside on this occasion – especially as his mark has been achieved through disappointments rather than careful planning.

Willie Mullins unsurprisingly has a brilliant record in the race and he sends Murcia, but she has also become a very frustrating and expensive horse to follow. I was quite adamant at the time that she was laid out for the Dublin Racing Festival in February where she could only manage fourth from a strangely wide position, and she gained no compensation for her repeat supporters at Cheltenham, Fairyhouse or Punchestown. She has since won a Mares Hurdle at Listowel, but ultimately, I just don’t think she is a well handicapped animal off a mark of 138 in this sort of company.

The fact that Murcia is Willie Mullins’ number one string with Paul Townend booked does not particularly bode well for the rest of his chances either, with Tounsivator and Too Bossy For Us backing up from their fifth and sixth place efforts respectively on Monday. The horse from his quintet that appeals most to me is actually Beauvallon, who won a nice race at the Punchestown Festival when having Gameball behind. He has since been beaten by Mino Des Mottes at Bellewstown however, which cools that interest somewhat.

Some believe that last year’s 4/1 favourite Puturhandstogether has been laid out for a repeat effort, but on that line of thought I cannot help feeling that NDAAWI has everything in his favour to run another massive race in what is now becoming his yearly target. Two years ago when this Gordon Elliott charge ran in the Galway Hurdle as a 4yo it was a brilliant effort to finish second behind Nurburgring, and you got the feeling after his injury sustained in the subsequent Cesarewitch at Newmarket that all roads lead back to a repeat bid in 2025.

His second behind Kargese in the County Hurdle provided the perfect preparation, and following a 139 day break he made amends in dramatic fashion when initially being beaten by Helvic Dream, before
rightfully receiving the race in the steward’s room. That victory 12 months ago came off a very tempting mark of 145, but connections have done a sterling job to run him in some nice races since without getting that mark to go any higher than its current position of 152. Initially to most that sort of rating would look too high to win a competitive race of this nature, but when you factor in James Smith’s 5lbs claim, he is only rated 2lbs higher than when victorious.

As such, he has plenty of weight swings in his favour; initial conqueror Helvic Dream will be 3lbs worse off, whilst the third place Casheldale Lad will be a massive 14lbs wrong. When running back in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival NDAAWI ran fine whilst clearly showing his limitations off a British mark (and top weight) of 156, but he has since had a proper confidence booster in wining an open company Hurdle race at Cork on Easter weekend – where he beat Absurde (146) by 3.25 lengths. Following a break to freshen up he then even won his preparation for this contest on the Flat at Listowel, so now 60 days later he looks absolutely primed for a repeat bid.

The noise surrounding Cullentra will clearly be focused on the favourite El Cairos, but Gordon Elliott has made a habit of talking about ‘horses for courses’ in all of his recent interviews, and our selection optimises that notion. Considering NDAAWI is still only a 6yo himself there is no reason to suggest that he has reached the ceiling of his ability, and I cannot see him finishing at least outside of the extended frame at a track which suits perfectly. If the new blood is unable to step up to the mark, he looks best positioned to take advantage.