Testify should oblige

The Tralee festival winds up this weekend, and today's fixture can see Testify get his own back on one of the stars of the Galway festival, Bannow Bay.

The latter won twice at Ballybrit, including when he put three-and-a-half lengths between himself and Testify, a performance that was greeted by a 12lb hike by the handicapper.

The result is that Bannow Bay now has to hump 12.4 in the McGiff Handicap Hurdle and Testify enjoys a 19lb turnaround in the weights.

Green Light finished third in the Galway race and enjoys an even greater weight pull with Bannow Bay, but Testify is a consistent sort who can notch a decent success for his trainer, Michael O'Connor.

The most valuable race on today's card is the £11,000 Brandon Hotel Hotel, a contest that can allow Nick The Butler to follow up victories at Naas and Tipperary.

Sophronia followed up a Wexford bumper win in June with an excellent performance at Ballinrobe, where she ran Bayyanna to a short head in a flat maiden. That should see Willie Mullins' horse ahead of the Galway and Cork winner Rua Lass.

John Oxx runs two in the Finches Ladies Race, and while Deylviyna did okay to beat Maradan at Wexford, Oxx's other runner, Quest For Peace, looks the one to be on.

Tomorrow's card could see some of the short odds merchants in their element. Moscow Retreat, for one, looks hard to oppose in the novice chase as Michael Hourigan's horse looked a very decent prospect indeed when winning at Galway.

Pat Hughes runs his GPT winner Gamekeeper for the second time at the festival after a disappointing effort in Wednesday's Guinness Gold Cup and the horse has to be respected in the opening maiden hurdle.

Hughes also runs Theseus in the four-runner novice hurdle and this one looks a better bet to handle the soft conditions than Pillar Rock or Aerleon Pete.

Rudi's Pleasure, a course and distance winner in June, can follow up in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle.