IN THE midst of Aidan O'Brien's rampaging dominance of European flat racing it could be easy to forget the thumping that Ireland's top steeplechasers endured from their British counterparts last winter. But now, even in the height of summer, Oslot can emphasise the point once more in today's William Hill Galway Plate.
It's hardly surprising Britain's champion trainer Paul Nicholls has targeted the €240,000 festival feature. Ireland's top chases yielded easy wins last season for Denman in the Lexus and Neptune Collonges in the Guinness Gold Cup. Throw in The Listener's Hennessy and John Durkan victories and there's little doubt the jumping balance of power has swung the other side of the Irish Sea.
Nicholls ran Hoo La Baloo in the Plate last year when the horse was brought down but he's back this time in an important role as topweight. His presence allows his stable companion Oslot run off 10st 13lb this afternoon and despite 20 home hopes ranged against them, the combination of Oslot and Ruby Walsh looks irresistible.
A slight question mark concerns his inexperience. The ex-French horse ran in his first chase on New Year's Day but he has won four of his five starts over fences and the second of them yielded a Grade Two win in the Pendil Chase at Kempton. He has also shown versatility in terms of ground and Walsh hasn't bothered to disguise his hopes of securing a second Plate success to add to Moscow Express in 1999.
In contrast to Oslot, the Galway legend Ansar will attempt to become just the second horse to win the Plate three times and secure a remarkable eighth festival victory. Hoo La Baloo's presence allows him a nice 11st weight but any ease in the ground would not be ideal.
Brave Right is another horse who looks attractively weighted on his best form over hurdles but Irish Invader is racing 6lb out of the handicap proper which might be too much for Willie Mullins's horse to overcome. In contrast Oslot's credentials look pretty rock-solid and he can emulate the last British-based winner Amlah who won 10 years ago.
There could also be an overseas tinge to the result of the mile-and-a-half handicap where Dermot Weld is represented by the ex-German runner Directa King. This four-year-old is a half-brother to the German Derby winner Dai Jin and he won twice in his homeland last year before being transferred to Ireland this summer where he has had just the one start for Weld at the Curragh behind Flashy Beau.
That came at a mile and six and the drop back in trip should suit Directa King whose 72 rating doesn't look harsh considering he is still relatively unexposed. Weld's Graceful Star has topweight in the mile handicap but apprentice Lee Roche takes 10lb off and a third to Mystical Lady and Ard Fheis at Naas looked a good warm up. The festival's top trainer also looks to have a prime contender in the mile maiden with the colt Designated Decoy.
