Galway Hurdle Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds (2024)

🏆 Galway Hurdle Prediction

The ante-post favourite with all the best betting sites for the 2024 Galway Hurdle is the sole British entry, Under Control, trained by legendary trainer Nicky Henderson. The J.P. McManus-owned five-year-old has solid form in big field handicaps and certainly ticks a lot of the boxes for a potential Galway Hurdle winner this year, with the only possible negative being her absence since January.

The biggest challenge to Under Control could come from one of the numerous Willie Mullins runners that will line up for Thursday’s big race. Mullins is searching for his seventh Galway Hurdle winner and, on all known forms and betting trends, has some good shouts with the likes of Daddy Long Legs, Risk Belle and Gaucher.

Nurburgring for Joseph O’Brien has been a popular each-way shout for this race since the entries were announced, and it’s easy to see why. He is one of only two four-year-old entries for the race and had a warmup run for Galway at Leopardstown in July.

Henry De Bromhead has only one runner due to take part in the race, the much fancied six-year-old Gorgeous Tom. As expected, there are lots of fancied horses for the biggest handicap hurdle race of the summer in Ireland. Willie Mullins has lots of artillery to fire at the race, but I fancy Henry De Bromhead’s Gorgeous Tom.

The six-year-old has won his last two races and looked the part when defeating the highly touted Mistergif at the Punchestown Festival.

🏇 Galway Hurdle Betting Preview

Gorgeous Tom may be my pick to win the 2024 Galway Hurdle, but it is sure to be a hotly contested, entertaining race with many horses in with a great shout of taking home the €162,000 first prize. Here is a more in-depth look at some of the leading fancies in the race.

1️⃣ Under Control

The Nicky Henderson-trained five-year-old is a well-respected favourite for the Galway Hurdle. She has run well in big field handicaps in the past and has potentially been laid out for a crack at the Galway Hurdle by the trainer after a late mishap meant she missed a run in Kelso during the spring. She is the sole British representative in this year’s entries but would still be a popular winner for the legendary trainer-owner combination, Nicky Henderson and J.P. McManus.

Best Odds on Under Control

• 5.00 at William Hill Sport
• 5.00 at BoyleSports
• 5.5 at Ladbrokes

2️⃣ Daddy Long Legs

Willie Mullins is seeking his seventh Galway Hurdle, and his main hope, according to the betting odds, appears to be Daddy Long Legs. The five-year-old owned by the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning Donnelly’s has been at the head of the betting market for quite some time, even after his disappointing Grimes Hurdle loss at the beginning of July when he finished fifth, a huge forty-five lengths behind the winner.

Best Odds on Daddy Long Legs

• 9.00 at William Hill Sport
• 8.00 at BoyleSports
• 9.00 at Ladbrokes

3️⃣ Gorgeous Tom

Gorgeous Tom is the sole entry for Henry De Bromhead but has the form to stand out as one of the leading fancies. He has won his last two races and been placed in two more for his trainer. So, he offers marked value as a potential each way or free bet pick.

His defeat of a highly rated Mistergif in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle at this year’s Punchestown festival confirmed his ability to compete in this race, and he could have more to offer, especially if the ground dries up.

Best Odds on Gorgeous Tom

• 11.00 at William Hill Sport
• 9.00 at BoyleSports
• 11.00 at Ladbrokes

⭐ Galway Hurdle Betting Tips

Before you start betting on the 2024 Galway Hurdle, it’s important to identify the key trends and markets that offer the most value for money. So, here are some expert horse racing betting tips to help you along the way.

✅ Look past the Favourite

In the last twenty renewals of the Galway Hurdle, there have only been four winning favourites. This highlights the ultra-competitive nature of this historic hurdle race. So, make sure you analyse and study the entire field of the 2024 race, as there could be another More Rainbows (who won the race in 2005 at odds of 34.00) in there somewhere.

✅ Watch Out For Willie Mullins

Willie Mullins has built up quite the record in the Galway Hurdle over recent years. He has trained three of the last five winners of Thursday’s big race and could be the man to follow again in 2024, with some much-fancied runners expected at the off. His son Patrick has been on board for two of those previous three wins, so it might be worth checking who the father and son team line up with in this year’s renewal.

✅ Look to the Younger Generation

Over the last twenty years only three horses older than seven years old have won the Galway Hurdle. Cloone River in 2004, Clondaw Warrior in 2016 and Tudor City in 2022. The top eight in the ante-post betting for the 2024 Galway Hurdle highlights this favouritism for the younger generation of horses, with only one horse of the first eight in the betting aged seven or over.

📊 Galway Hurdle Winners

Frequently Asked Questions About the Galway Hurdle Betting

✒️ Liam Lacey – Horse Racing Betting Expert

Liam Lacey is a sportswriter from County Laois in Ireland who specializes in delivering content on GAA, horse races, and football matters (though he does see himself as somewhat of a tennis aficionado also).

Liam has written about All Ireland Gaelic Football and Hurling Championships, Premier League, Champions League and international football, offering expert opinions and match previews and predictions. Occasionally, even getting some right!