The week-long Galway Races get underway on Monday and we have picked out three bets from the card on the opening day of action at Ballybrit.
Monday’s opening salvo is a mixed card, with two races over hurdles to start, before four on the Flat and a bumper to round things off.
Our racing expert has picked out a trio of contenders to follow on day one of the 2025 Galway Races and here are our best horse racing betting tips.
Selections
17:10 Galway – Davy Crockett @ SP
18:40 Galway – Familiar Dreams @ SP
19:15 Galway – Honeysuckle Rose @ SP
17:10 Galway – Davy Crockett @ SP
The Galway Races was once an event that Willie Mullins largely overlooked. The Closutton chief typically would have been quiet at this time of year, but that has changed in recent times and he is now a regular at the western outpost.
Mullins can land the opening Galway Bay Hotel & The Galmont Hotel Novice Hurdle with DAVY CROCKETT for owner JP McManus with Mark Walsh on board.
The Camelot gelding easily won a bumper at Punchestown in June over the extended two miles, untroubled at any stage under Patrick Mullins. This meeting was touted in the aftermath and so it has come to pass.
He is a half-brother to Grade 1-winning hurdler Mystical Power out of the Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power and has plenty of scope to excel in this sphere.
18:40 Galway – Familiar Dreams @ SP
The Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap is being run over nearly two miles and one furlong and the qualified riders event sees plenty of the top yards represented.
Willie Mullins, Tony Martin, Joseph O’Brien, Dermot Weld and Jessica Harrington all have contenders, but Gordon Elliott may have the answer with FAMILIAR DREAMS.
The Postponed mare won four bumpers for her previous trainer Anthony McCann in 2024 and beat Winter Fog in a Tramore Flat race last summer after joining this handler.
She has won twice over timber since, including a Grade 3 novice at Limerick over 2m6½f in March, while she wasn’t disgraced in Grade 1 company at Aintree and Punchestown over three miles afterwards.
An opening mark of 93 in this sphere is workable and Josh Williamson eases her burden to the tune of 7lb via his claim.
19:15 Galway – Honeysuckle Rose @ SP
Joseph O’Brien is another leading handler who likes to target Galway, the Piltown ace saddling nine winners at this venue during 2024.
He arrives into race week at Ballybrit in great form, with a 29 per cent strike-rate from 72 runners of late.
Lightly-raced Bated Breath filly HONEYSUCKLE ROSE is a potential improver under Dylan McMonagle in the Clayton Hotel Galway Handicap over 7f.
She won on the Polytrack at Dundalk over this trip on her second start in December and has only had two spins so far in 2025.
The most recent of those was her handicap debut at Gowran Park (7f, soft) in June and she ran on well for third off 1lb higher in a race where the front two were always nicely placed.
She has scope for better and her yard are in superb form heading for the Galway Races.
