Galway Festival opens at Ballybrit

Galway´s big summer meeting opens today at the Ballybrit racecourse and is as always one of the highlights of the Irish season. Huge crowds, numerous top events, both on the flat and over jumps for amateurs and for professionals, the "craic" is probably bigger here than at any other Irish meeting.
The betting strategy for Galway is usually quite simple: back all of Dermot Weld´s horses.The trainer always targets this meeting and with his string in top form, it will be a huge surprise if he cannot improve on his already sensational record here.
He runs Force of Habit (Paul Townend) in the opening novice hurdle at 18.10 CET; this recent flat winner ws third on his only race over sticks way back in the spring, but fcs some toiugh opposition today. Weld´s best chance is probably A Word Apart (Pat Smullen) in the 2yo maiden at 19.20; he often runs one of his top juveniles in this event, including subsequent Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow. The most valuable race of the day is the 2 mile handicap for amateur riders, where his Sublime Talent (Robbie Quinlan) is going for a hat-trick. Mutamaleq (Smullen) has been runner-up 3 times in a row and can take the 3yo handicap over 7 furlongs at 20.35. Rainforest Magic (Smullen) is an interesting contestant in the 3yo handicap over 1 1/2 miles; his form does not amount to much, but he is now stepped up in distance and is blinkered for the first time, so a much better performance can be expected. Weld´s final runner is Fort Defiance (Robbie McNamara) in the bumper at 21.35; he was beaten at odds-on on his only start so far, in March, and has ben kept for this race ever since. There are maximum fields in all these races, and the others want to win as well, so nothing will be easy, but we will be surprised of Weld does not have at least a couple of winners on the opening day.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Fingal Rock - Cabernet Sauvignon - Force Of Habit
2. Race: Split Ear - Cylindar Rattler - Total Excitement
3. Race: A Word Apart - Robin Hood - Alexander Pope
4. Race: Sublime Talent - Cyborg - Galianna
5. Race: Mutamaleq - Frenka - Emily Jane
6. Race: La Chassotte - Driveheron - Notalossonya
7. Race: Fort Defiance - Apt Manor - Lady Chatterbox