Racing: Brian O'Connor looks forward to the Galway Festival with a day-by-day guide.
Monday
The GPT Amateur Handicap is the traditional opening day feature and the versatile Emmpat from the Tony Mullins stable looks a value option in what is always an ultra-competitive race.
Le Leopard was runner-up to Rockstown Boy last year and despite the lack of a recent run Dermot Weld's horse could easily be a factor again. Weld's hold on the seven-furlong 2-y-o maiden has been loosened somewhat in recent years but that could change if Duke Of Milan takes his chance.
A staying on fourth to Horatio Nelson at the Curragh looks an ideal profile for this assignment. The opening race of the festival could see the jumping debut of Akilana. The ex-Aga Khan horse never won on the flat but didn't stop JP McManus paying out a170,000 last November.
Tuesday
The McDonogh Handicap has a good record of fancied horses winning despite it always being so competitive. Jim Bolger has twice won with Tiger Shark (1999) and Tushna (2000) and looks like he could have another contender this time in Precipitous. The Michael Smurfit-owned filly was a seven-furlong winner last time but has good form at a mile.
Piercing Sun has good form over hurdles, but there was a lot to like about the way he won his first chase at Killarney last month. The conditions chase looks a suitable opportunity to follow up.
Wednesday
Mirpour clearly relishes the challenge of Ballybrit as third placings in both the GPT and the Guinness Hurdle indicate. But even that doesn't explain the ante-post gamble that has taken place on him for the Hewlett-Packard Galway Plate. Eoin Griffin's horse is clear favourite after being backed from 20 to 1 despite having raced only three times over fences - and he fell on one of those.
Victories at Tipperary and Listowel showed a horse with a future and he has clearly been trained with this in mind, warming up with a good third on the flat at the Curragh. But the Plate is a tough race that exposes any weaknesses and the Mirpour value looks to have gone. Banasan wasn't impressive over hurdles at Fairyhouse but he is a proven big race winner and crucially he is good on any ground.
Thursday
A massive public gamble came off in style last year when Cloone River bolted up in the Guinness Galway Hurdle.
It would be no surprise to see something similar happening next week.
Cloone River's trainer Paul Nolan also has the top-weighted entry in Accordion Etoile and if he runs, Cloone River will start off 10-7 with much of the rest of the field left out of the handicap proper. The favourite is 12lbs higher in the ratings than in 2004 but an emphatic win on the flat last month showed a horse still on the up. Say What You See is an interesting Martin Pipe contender and an each-way option on fast ground could be Moratorium. But this looks all about Cloone River.
