By Ronan Groome [Irish Field]
An evening of exhilarating racing awaits on day four of the Galway Festival.
We’re running down the seven races scheduled to go on Friday with tips and ‘next best’ options if you are feeling like a punt.
5:10 GUINNESS HANDICAP HURDLE
A wide open betting heat to start the evening. Golden Spear, who won the feature race on this card last season, comes back over hurdles and is sure to be popular. Tony Martin’s horse is only 3lbs higher than when an excellent third to Ice Cold Soul in the Coral.ie Hurdle. A talented sort, he is likely to be well primed for today and we know he acts around the course. He will be ridden by 7lb claimer John Fitzpatrick but that is not such a worry as Martin is known for his selection of claiming jockeys, especially in handicap races like this.
Both Roachdale House and Stormey are progressive sorts and you’d expect both to run big races. Tay Lane is also interesting for the all-conquering Willie Mullins team, for whom she has her second start for. Zanjabeel has been in good form and is a horse that likes good ground, so if the weather allows, he can run big for Davy Russell and Gordon Elliott.
SELECTION: GOLDEN SPEAR
NEXT BEST: ZANJABEEL
5:45 GUINNESS 17:59 IRISH EBF MEDIAN AUCTION MAIDEN
Brendan Duke’s Warm The Voice ran a big race on his debut at Leopardstown last week and will be tough to beat here if able to build on that effort. The son of Vocalised was an unconsidered 50/1 shot but stayed on nicely to finish close to a pair of Aidan O’Brien-trained runners.
Timothy Doyle’s Krispen was another to run well on his debut, at Fairyhouse, and could improve to feature. Break Spring and Lovely Morning failed to land a serious blow on their debuts but both come from big stables, Joseph O’Brien and Jessica Harrington, so could well improve.
SELECTION: WARM THE VOICE
NEXT BEST: BREAK SPRING
6:15 GUINNESS GALWAY BLAZERS HANDICAP CHASE
On Fiddlers Green just missed out on the Galway Plate and will be popular amongst punters in his bid to win this race, run over the same distance as the Plate, for the second year running. Davy Russell will ride the seven-year-old who is off a 13lb higher mark than last year but won the Connacht National in impressive style on his previous run.
PIC***********
There are plenty of dangers further down the weights however and the main one may be Tony Martin’s Phil’s Magic who comes into this off a win in the Midlands National at Kilbeggan and who has a progressive profile now. The seven-year-old will be having only his fourth run for Martin having joined the Meath trainer from Sandra Hughes earlier in the year. He can improve again.
Elsewhere, Aranhill Chief finished second in this race last season and has a swing at the weights with On Fiddlers Green now. He is trained by Henry de Bromhead and it is likely this race has always been the plan for him.
SELECTION: PHIL’S MAGIC
NEXT BEST: ARANHILL CHIEF
6:50 GUINNESS HANDICAP
Whiskey Sour will bid to complete a unique feature race double having already won the Connacht Hotel Handicap here on Monday night. He will carry a 7lb penalty for that win but is actually still 5lbs well in after his re-assessment from the handicapper. He will be difficult to beat if in the same vein in form.
Tony Martin has won this race twice in the last three years and is represented by four this time around. Sweet Company finished seventh to Whiskey Sour on Monday but may be more suited to coming back in trip so is not without a chance. Song Of Namibia won a nice race at Bellewstown and can make his presence felt for Ger Lyons and finally On The Go Again is a lightly-raced four-year-old who won his maiden in good style and could progress off a mark of 80 for trainer Michael Mulvanny.
SELECTION: WHISKEY SOUR
NEXT BEST: ON THE GO AGAIN
7:25 GUINNESS IRISH EBF FILLIES MAIDEN
High Language, representing Joseph O’Brien, ran with promise on her debut at Gowran Park and has landed the plum draw in stall one. She will be tough to beat but maybe this is the race Dermot Weld finally gets off the mark for the meeting, if he hasn’t already done before. He is represented by Muniza, who ran well to finish second to Kamili on her debut at the Curragh. That was only three weeks ago and if she can build on that she should go close, despite a poor draw.
Two others to note are Dawn Choir, who finished second on her only two starts for Ellmarie Holden, and the Ger Lyons-trained Lady Nathaniel, who performed with credit to finish third behind Black Ruby and Frima on her latest run at Fairyhouse.
SELECTION: MUNIZA
NEXT BEST: HIGH LANGUAGE
7:55 ARTHUR GUINNESS HANDICAP
This is a trappy three-year-old handicap and it may go to Empress Lyla. Sheila Lavery’s filly ran well in the seven-furlong handicap won by Dinky Inty here on Monday night and the extra furlong is sure to suit. On her previous run to Monday, she finished a good third over 10 furlongs at Ballinrobe and before that she finished second to subsequent winner Always Dancing over a mile on soft ground at Killarney.
Delegating ran well in the same race as Empress Lyla on Monday, finishing third, but on that occasion she came from stall five and today she’ll be out in 14. Greenpanda looks progressive but is another inconvenienced by the draw out in 16. Binary Code hasn’t fared much better in 13 but might be worth taking a chance on. Joseph Murphy’s horses have been going well and he has employed Pat Smullen to take the ride here. The son of Invincible Spirit was disappointing on his previous run which came over 10 furlongs and may be better off over today’s extended mile.
SELECTION: EMPRESS LYLA
NEXT BEST: BINARY CODE
8:25 BUDWEISER RACE
This is a difficult race to get a handle on with Renneti, rated 104, likely to start favourite with Pat Smullen booked. His last appearance was in the Listed Lenebane Stakes at Roscommon where he finished a respectable fifth. Another of his rivals today, Ger Lyons’ Savannah Storm, finished ahead of him in third but then disappointed on his latest run at Down Royal.
Benkei and Digeanta ran here in the Connacht Hotel Handicap and preference is for the latter, who finished a creditable fourth and will have the services of promising 7lb claimer Danny Sheehy. Vigil and Ted Veale are interesting runners. The latter has a brilliant record at Galway but hasn’t been seen since last year’s Galway Hurdle.
Motherland won a handicap by 17 lengths at last season’s festival as well but he has failed to really catch fire this term and connections will be hoping the return to Ballybrit can inspire him.
SELECTION: DIGEANTA
NEXT BEST: MOTHERLAND
