Ansar has already registered eight of his twelve race wins at the Ballybrit track and includes two Galway Plates and a Galway Hurdle in his remarkable Galway total. Ansar, then owned and bred by His Highness the Aga Khan, began his career with trainer John Oxx and after two unplaced runs as a juvenile he showed plenty of promise on his first run as a three year old maiden at Leopardstown in July 1999 before he comfortably justified favouritism in a maiden at Dundalk over twelve furlongs in the hands of Johnny Murtagh.
Sent to Galway to contest a three year old handicap, he narrowly failed to defy top weight in finishing a close up third before connections decided to try him over two miles. Starting favourite for a handicap at the Curragh in mid-August he looked the most likely winner for much of the journey before being overhauled close to the line by the Aidan O'Brien trained Maltesse.
This performance encouraged connections to go for the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh in early October and despite the heavy ground being against him, he ran an excellent race to finish less than two lengths third to Miltonfield before being sent to the Horses in Training Sale at Newmarket.
Purchased at that sale for 64,000gns with a hurdling career in mind by trainer Dermot Weld Ansar gained his first win for his new connections when winning a maiden hurdle at the Galway Festival under Norman Williamson before following up over the same course in a flat race just four days later.
On a real roll at this stage, this improving four year old completed a quick hat-trick when taking a qualified riders event at the Tralee Festival the following month before finishing a creditable eighth to Hero's Fatal in the English Cesarewitch at Newmarket in October.
The following season Ansar prepared for the Galway Festival again with a fair fifth in the Ulster Harp Derby at Down Royal in June having earlier begun the season with unplaced runs at the Curragh and Chester. Once again he showed a liking for Galway's unique course as he comfortably defied top weight of twelve stone to win a handicap hurdle on the opening Monday evening before following up three days later with a thoroughly decisive win in the Guinness Galway Hurdle in the hands of Paul Carberry despite having to shoulder a 12lbs penalty for winning three days earlier.
Ansar won a novice chase at the 2002 Galway festival again with Paul Carberry aboard and first contested the Galway Plate the following year finished fifth to Nearly A Moose.
Jockey David Casey was again the saddle when the Dermot Weld stable star won his first Plate in 2004 beating the Christy Roche trained Risk Accessor and followed up the following season beating Ursumman the latter another probable for today's renewal.
Ansar had to settle for runner up spot in 2006 behind the Christy Roche trained Far From Trouble owned by JP Mc Manus and filled fourth last year behind the Ulster-bred Sir Fredrick which is currently sidelined with a tendon injury.
Ansar is a small horse by jumping standards but with the faster going presently in his favour and his genius of a trainer having bypassed a prep race on the flat at Tralee due to the ground conditions Ansar could carve a permanent place in Galway history this afternoon while trainer Christy Roche and owner JP McManus who combine to target this race on an annual basis have Cool Running an unlucky third last year to represent them.