The Galmont Hotel & The Galway Bay Hotel Novice Hurdle at 5.10pm is the first of seven races scheduled for the opening night.
Trainer Willie Mullins has been in this race three times in the last five years, with Farout (2021), Mystical Power in 2023 and Davy Crockett last year.
The Closutton handler and his lead jockey Paul Townend will be represented by Frenchwoman Witches Familiar, who won a maiden fillies’ hurdle at Ballinrobe on her last appearance at the racecourse in May.
The highest-rated runner in the field, with 123, is Mino Des Mottes, run by Gordon Elliott, winner of a Bellewstown Novice Hurdle last time out under Josh Williamson.
Three in a row for O’Brien & Lordan?
In the seven-furlong Eventus Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden at 6:10 p.m., Aidan O’Brien will be represented by Fairyhouse’s fifth-placer, Wayne Lordan’s mount City Of Gold.
The son of Wootton Bassett will attempt to emulate his half-brother Constitution River by breaking his maiden at Ballybrit, with the latter going on to win the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly as a three-year-old.
O’Brien, who is trying to win the race for the third year in a row, could find his son Joseph’s US-bred One Number as his main challenger, after finishing third in the Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes at Naas in early June.
Mullins’ recent dominance on Monday’s feature
The opening race on the opening night, the Connacht Hotel (QR) Handicap over 2 miles and 179 yards, has 23 runners declared. This race has been won by a Mullins-trained horse eight times in the last nine years – Willie 5 times, Emmet twice and Tony once.
Willie Mullins will be represented by Sirius – 50/1 winner of the race in 2024 – Too Bossy For Us and Tounsivator this year, while Emmet will be represented by last year’s winner Filey Bay and Teed Up. Only three favorites have won this race in the last 12 years.
Power Of Knowledge will debut
Power Of Knowledge, Annie Power’s third foal, will make his racecourse debut in the Ray Dooley Monami Construction Flat Race at 8:20 p.m. – the final race on Monday’s schedule.
Wearing the colors of JP McManus, the four-year-old son of Camelot, trained by Willie Mullins, is still a colt, and will be the mount of the handler’s son, Patrick, who won this bumper in 2024 aboard My Great Mate.
Primer Contender, son of Nathaniel, has changed trainers since his Point to Point victory at Dromahane in April. Prepared for this occasion by Seán Doyle, the gelding is now driven by Gordon Elliott and should provide tough competition for the race favorite.
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