The annual social and betting extravaganza that is the Galway Festival gets under way again this evening with some familiar Ballybrit fixtures sure to be to the fore.
Dermot Weld and Noel Meade have remarkable records at Galway and both are represented in the traditional first-day feature, the GPT Handicap for amateur riders. Iron County Xmas goes for Weld while Meade has last year's winner, Saving Bond, as well as Try For Ever.
A success for any of them will be no surprise but even with their trainer's penchant for winning at Galway, slight preference on this occasion is for Red Piper.
In a race as traditionally competitive as the GPT, it's hard to be dogmatic about any horse's chance especially one like Red Piper whose claims over the two mile trip are uncertain. However, ground which is likely to have some juice in it, may be the deciding factor in her favour.
Red Piper is a filly that likes to get her toe in and at Killarney last time out, the good to firm going was all against her. What didn't help her either was a less than clear run in what turned out to be a slowly run race won by Rainbow Warrior.
Nevertheless, she finished only a length back in third, a placing that pales when compared to what she did previously at the Curragh. Then given a cut in the ground, Red Piper fairly bolted in by five lengths from Hayward and Look West with Saving Bond only fourth.
Saving Bond is now 10lb better off but Red Piper won so readily that she must have a reasonable chance of confirming the form. A bigger worry could be trip. This is six furlongs further than the Curragh but if Karl Wyse rides a patient race, then odds of around of eight or 10 to 1 look look decent each-way value.
Theatreworld is a well known performer but is giving a lot of weight away and a bigger danger could be Space Trucker who is also likely to be patiently ridden. Of the others Shantarini can run a big race but Red Piper is marginally preferred.
Weld is unlikely to leave the track empty handed. The Curragh trainer has a remarkable record with his two-year-olds at Galway and is never afraid to run his best there. Go And Go and Dance Design are two classic winners to have won over the stiff, undulating course and while the Fairy King colt Immovable Option may not be in that class, there was enough in his fifth to Takariya on his debut to suggest he can beat Windward Rock in the seven-furlong maiden.
The major flat yards of Weld, Oxx, Bolger and O'Brien are all represented in what looks an ultra-competitive 12-furlong handicap. Although she has her share of weight, the beautifully bred Bellewstown winner Chalna is selected to give John Murtagh his 51st winner of the term at the main expense of Azarina and possibly Shalazar.
Racing opens at 5.00 p.m. with the 30-runner maiden hurdle. Such contests can usually be narrowed down significantly in numbers but the same rules don't apply at Galway. Still, the bumper form of Willie Mullins's Its Time For A Win is quite impressive and he didn't run at all badly on the flat at Killarney last time behind Aidan O'Brien's French import The Card King.
