GALWAY PREVIEW:THE THEORY that class will out can get a boost on day two of the Galway festival if She's Our Mark lands the €160,000 featured Tote Mile.
Pat Flynn bucks the usual trend with his filly who returns to handicap company despite having scooped Group Three honours last year and who only last month found herself finishing just 11 lengths off Promising Lead in the Group One Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
She's Our Mark's finest hour, however, came last August in the Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown when beating the subsequently Group One-placed Eastern Appeal and the Group Two-winner Haatef.
Even further behind were horses of the calibre of Lord Admiral so to see She's Our Mark racing off a mark of 99 tonight, a full half stone below her career best rating, is pretty eye-catching. Throw in a great draw in box 15 of the 18 runners and it's possible to argue she's a blot on the handicap.
A rather important equalising factor though is her last start when She's Our Mark struggled home at the rear of the Listed race won by Navajo Moon at the Curragh.
Forgive her that effort, however, especially on the back of positive home reports, and she should have a major chance of adding to Flynn's previous winner of the race, Salmon Eile, who won in 1992 when it was known as the McDonogh.
Not surprisingly there will be dangers aplenty to upset the theoretical argument including a pair of British raiders from Richard Fahey's yard, Benandonner and Bolodenka.
Jalmira tops the weights with her stable companion Crooked Throw just a couple of pounds below. At the other end of the scale there will be plenty willing to bet that Dermot Weld can again work his Galway magic with the bottomweight No Strings.
Especially with a claim, No Strings might emerge as a big threat but they like their class acts west of the Shannon and She's Our Mark can have punters cheering.
The Pat Flynn-Danny Grant combination could also be the ones to follow in the seven-furlong handicap if Luck Wud Have It reproduces Leopardstown form behind Fancy Feathers.
Relying on ratings and previous efforts in better class can be a dangerous game to rely on completely though and Keyala can prove that point in the concluding seven furlong maiden.
Rated an 80 herself, she has over a stone to find with Great Barrier Reef whose best form came on his very first start last year when runner-up in the Gimcrack at York.
On the strength of that initial run he has proved to be a very expensive animal to follow and two runs this year have proved hugely disappointing. The Ballydoyle horse looks a dangerous one to have any more than minimal interest in while Awards Ceremony will hardly be great value either from Dermot Weld's yard.
In the circumstances then Keyala looks worth an interest especially on the strength of running Ard Fheis close in a Naas maiden over a mile.
Rare Ransom ran Chintz to half a length on her Leopardstown debut and even with Mark Of An Angel and Mick Channon's Evening Sunset in the juvenile fillies maiden she is hard oppose.
Sorry Al is back for another crack at the two and three quarter mile conditions chase having won it in 2006 and finishing third last year despite his saddle slipping in the closing stages. Course form is always a plus around here.
