The Galway Festival reaches day six on Saturday and we have picked out three selections for another quality card.
There’s some fiercely competitive action from the penultimate day of the Galway Festival on Saturday, an eight-race mixed card featuring big fields throughout, with the feature the BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle, a Listed event over an extended 2m6f.
With four races over jumps and four on the Flat, there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy, including a fascinating juvenile maiden, won for three times in the last five years by Aidan O’Brien-trained colts.
We have picked out a trio of selections on the card including one in the feature race.
Selections
14.02 Galway – Brosna Town @ SP
15:12 Galway – Ambitious Fellow @ SP
18:05 Galway – Oriole @ SP
14.02 Galway – Brosna Town @ SP
Legendary Flat trainer Dermot Weld doesn’t have many hurdlers, but he’s long been associated with winners at the Galway Festival and landed this opening maiden hurdle with Aydoun in 2017.
With that in mind, BROSNA TOWN commands obvious respect in a race where there’s little in the way of previous form to go on.
The selection is a two-time winner on the Flat, the first coming in a Fairyhouse maiden over 1m4f last summer before doubling his tally in a Dundalk handicap over the same trip at the start of this year.
He’s currently racing at 84 on the level and that sort of mark often translates to something in the mid 120s over hurdles, which would give him obvious claims in this company.
He’s fit, having run only last month and has 5lb taken off his back, courtesy of Richard Condon’s claim.
15:12 Galway – Ambitious Fellow @ SP
Peter Fahey’s AMBITIOUS FELLOW has been running creditably over fences of late and looks primed for a big run now reverting to hurdles in the Listed feature, a race he won off a 1lb lower mark in 2023.
The nine-year-old, who has won five of his 26 lifetime starts, is capable of some smart form on his day and has slipped to a handy mark, 12lb below last season’s peak figure of 142.
Only headed towards the finish when runner-up in 15-runner handicap chase at Roscommon in June, he comes here in good form and should get something like his optimum underfoot conditions.
18:05 Galway – Oriole @ SP
The Mark Fahey-trained ORIOLE ran comfortably her best race of the campaign when third at Tramore last month and that should have put her spot on for a repeat in the concluding 1m4f handicap.
The six-year-old mare ran out an authoritative winner of this contest 12 months ago when in the care of Natalia Lupini and she’s handicapped to go in again, rated 1lb lower.
She’s improved with each of her three runs for her new yard and is reunited with the excellent Dylan Browne McMonagle, who was on board the daughter of Nathanel when finishing an unlucky third at Tramore 25 days ago, where she lost many lengths at the start and was then denied a clear run.
She won this from stall three last season and is again nicely berthed, this time in gate four.
