GALWAY PREVIEW: ROCK AND Roll Kid earned the reward for consistency in a major handicap earlier this week and the same can apply to Drunken Sailor when he lines up for this evening's Galway feature.
A total of 13 line up for the €65,000 Arthur’s Day Handicap, including a British-trained raider, Rayhani, from Dandy Nicholls’ yard as well as the topweight Sesenta, for whom Willie Mullins has booked Johnny Murtagh.
Mick Kinane’s mount Aliyfa drops back from black type company, while Dermot Weld has an eye-catching three-year-old in Casual lurking at the bottom of the ratings.
It is a very competitive looking race but the safest option still looks to be Drunken Sailor, who comes here on the back of a fine second to Via Galilei at the Curragh on Derby day as well as another runner-up placing in the Ulster Derby.
Time may yet tell that Drunken Sailor was attempting a mission-impossible against Changingoftheguard that day at Down Royal and competitive as today is he certainly doesn’t look to have such a task now.
Another one lurking at the bottom of the weights is Tin Town Boy, who was beaten a long way here earlier in the week by Charleville but who is now at the opposite end of the handicap and has winning course and distance form from last year.
It has been a good week already for the McNamara brothers, with Andrew winning the Plate and Robbie landing Monday night’s feature on Ghimaar.
The leading amateur can strike again in this evening’s opener on board Sharadi, who is 10lb higher for winning at Killarney last month but who won so easily that day that a follow-up looks on.
Media Queen has looked rejuvenated since returning from almost two years off and is on a hat-trick after wins at Roscommon and Ballinrobe.
However, she does have to concede weight to Sharadi.
A poor weather forecast could yet mean a deterioration in ground conditions today and that may be a worry for Universal Truthfans in the concluding conditions race.
Dermot Weld’s horse is undoubtedly better on a decent surface as he proved when winning an amateur race at Leopardstown last time.
However, his bumper form does contain some good performances on more testing ground, including a defeat of Baracas at Limerick before running fourth to Dunguib at Punchestown.
Weld and Pat Smullen will also fancy their chances in the three- year-old maiden over a mile and a half with Sublime Talent, whose second to Yankee Doodle at Wexford in May gives him a good chance. Surprisingly, Weld has won this race just once in the last nine years but this colt can put that right.
Jessica Harrington's horses have been mostly running well this week and Beat The Bosscould keep that going in the mile handicap along with Knight Legend, who can defy topweight in the two mile handicap chase.
