The Grand National Steeplechase features a strong support card, including the Harry E. Harris Hurdle which will see nine horses go in pursuit of a guaranteed purse of $75,000, including recent point-to-point graduate Galway Kid.
The son of Sholokhov made amends for his midway departure at Loughanmore on debut when running out a wide-margin victor at Kinsale on the final weekend of the season.
Mick Goff’s charge made almost all of the running in what was the penultimate four-year-old geldings’ maiden of the spring campaign, to defeat Ballinagore by 15 lengths under Shane Fitzgerald for owner Derek Tobin.
The chestnut gelding has since been sold privately to cross the Atlantic where he now resides with America’s most successful trainer Jonathan Sheppard. The British-born trainer become the first steeplechase trainer in America to reach 1,000 winners, a feat that is all the more notable given that a decade ago, fewer than 170 jumps races were held there.
Saturday’s 2m1f contest, which is restricted to four-year-old’s, will see him carry the colours of the Hudson River Farm silks, owners that have enjoyed Grade 1 success in America with the likes of Arcadius, Sovereign Duty, Winston C and Ninepins.
Former point-to-point rider Darren Nagle from Mallow, the nephew of trainer TJ Nagle, will be in the saddle for the valuable contest which goes to post at 1.40pm local time or 6.40pm Irish time.
Galway Kid and @darrenpnagle out schooling a grade 1 winner today 🤷�♀�🤷�♀� @eswyer pic.twitter.com/9D0Hl1VfN5
— Keri Brion (@Keri145) October 14, 2019
