Warsaw isn't a familiar stop on route to success in the Guinness Galway Hurdle but Tulipa might just be up to bringing an unfamiliar international flavour to Ballybrit's most valuable race.
Amid the usual suspects of hardened handicappers and Galway specialists, Tulipa sticks out like a sore thumb with a winning streak of four wins in novice events in the last two months. But that is only a fraction of the story.
Nearly 30 races on the flat in her native Poland resulted in the mare winning the country's most important race, the Wielka Warzaawska, last October.
Soon after it also brought the English trainer Tom George to the sales where he shelved out Stg£44,000 for Tulipa. Considering £31,000 was enough to pick up the Polish Derby winner at the same sale, then the mare's reputation in her homeland is obviously considerable.
"There is no way of comparing flat form there and here. It doesn't seem to add up for some reason although it is different with hurdles," said George whose previous raids on Poland threw up the SunAlliance Hurdle winner Galileo.
He unveiled Tulipa at Perth in May, returned to Scotland for her second start and then took in Worcester before easily scoring at Market Rasen 11 days ago. It's a roll that might not even hint at her potential in her new career.
"She could turn out to be very well-handicapped or she might be badly in. I don't really know. This is a different ball game compared to the novices but all we can say is that she has won those four races very easily. Apart from that we're guesssing," George added yesterday.
Nevertheless Tulipa has been consistently supported in the ante-post betting and she looks to be a more significant contender than the other cross-channel hope Prince Among Men.
A complicating factor in today's €180,000 contest is the forecast heavy overnight rain.
Last year's winner Sabadilla would relish some rain as would the 2003 runner Cloone River who has been campaigned on the flat in the run-up to the festival. Other Galway annuals include the 2002 runner-up Mutakarrim and last year's beaten favourite Puck Out.
Gemini Guest was eighth last year but looks a real contender this time after a good win on the flat at the Curragh. Callow Lake and Dyrick Daybreak are others to consider but in an otherwise typically competitive Galway Hurdle, there could be a very dangerous dark horse.
Tulipa is hardly your typical jumping novice so the big field should not be a problem and she has an admirable versatility for ground. Just two English-trained horses have won the race before, Sagaman (1991) and Rushmoor (1986), but for international influence Tulipa can trump them all.
If she is something of a shot in the dark then there will be more than a few punters who are likely to reckon Zeroberto will be the bet of the week so far in the mile and a half handicap.
The ex-German horse was a first winner for owner Ronan Lambe over hurdles on Monday and runs today off a flat mark of 56 that comes from a relatively moderate career in Germany.
Nevertheless he was a Baden-Baden winner and Monday showed Dermot Weld has already wrought improvement. Even the impressive Limerick winner Mrs Gillow, who is up 8lb in the ratings, is likely to struggle against Zeroberto.
Weld can also score with Mohawk Star now that one is back at a mile while Michael Kinane is a significant booking for Sugarhoneybaby who drops in trip for the seven furlong handicap.
