Galway Festival: fourth today

it´s an early start at Galway today with the first race at 14.50 CET. Main feature is the Galway Hurdle over 2 miles at 17.55; this handicap is worth 150,000 euros to the winner and is fiercely competitive, with 6 runners from the U.K., including 4 trained by John Ferguson. Purple Bay could be the best of them after the impressive way he scored at Market rRasen, but he has a huge weight - slightly reduced by his excellent claimer Shane Shortall. JPMcManus also wants to win this and has 3 runners, with Tony McCoy on the warm favourite , Tony Martin´s Thomas Edison. The Gigginstown main hope is Thje Game Changer (Charlie Swan/ KC Sexton) but we shall stick to the tried and true at this meeting, Detmot Weld, whose runner Hissabaat (JJ Burke) was 5th in this last year and has been carefully campaigned since.
Weld, who has already had 5 winners at the meeting, could bring off the unusual feat today of winning over hurdles, over fences (Tylers Cottage with Paul Townend) in the opener, and also the top race on the flat, the listed race for fillies at 16.40 with Tested (Pat Smullen). Her only defeat so far came in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and she looks potentially different class to these opponents. Sparrow (Aidan O´Brien/ Seamus Heffernan) is very well-bred but has been a big disappointment so far, so the consistent Tobann (Jim Bolger/ Kevin Manning) can follow her home.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Elegant Statesman - Jarob - Our Man Zebo
2. Race: Alelchi Inois - Starkie - Back To Balloo
3. Race: Castle Bar Sling - Laviniad - Sretaw
4. Race: Tested - Slipper Orchid - Ballybacka Queen
5. Race: Pink Hat - Desertmore Stream - Icy Reply
6. Race: Thomas Edison - Bayan - Plinth
7. Race: Pirate Cove - Blue Ridge Lane - Ridestan
8. Race: Blue Owen - Notorious Villain - Jamesmicheal