Galway Festival 2017 Day 3 Selections

We had a cracking day at Galway on Tuesday but it could easily have been a whole lot better. Law Girl got us off to a poor start and after that I was fearing the worst. However, we got our first winner of the week with Shekiba who won going away advised at 14/1. 

Hibou was impeded by the winner and he would have gone a lot closer only for the interference. He stayed on well for 2nd at 16s. Atlas had to challenge widest of all but still managed to sneak a place at 12s. Midnitemudcrabs just missed out on a place in 5th and a slow start cost her. Hopefully we can find a few more winners on Day 3 and you can read my thoughts on the card below.

Stephen Mahon loves training winners at his local track.

RACE 1

The hot favourite for this maiden hurdle is the Willie Mullins trained and JP McManus owned Castello Sforza but he hasn’t been seen on the track since March and his fitness has to be taken on trust. He will be hard to beat of turning up in top condition, but there are risks attached and 10/11 looks plenty short enough for a horse with his profile.

I think the 9/1 about Turbojet represents a bit of each way value against the favourite on his first run for shrewd trainer Dermot McLoughlin. Formerly trained by Maria Richert, this 6yo son of Authorized has been knocking on the door in maiden hurdles. He handles soft ground, he ran a cracker behind Art Of Security when last sighted at Naas (16f hvy) and at odds of 9/1 he could go close.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: TURBOJET @ 9/1 E/W

RACE 2

Brian Ellison won this last year with Our Kylie and she is back for a repeat bid. However, she is 8lb higher now and it won’t be easy for her. Another previous winner of this contest, the 10yo mare Lilly The Lioness is a much bigger price and though she is 7lb higher now the 5lb claim of Conor Brassil means she is far from impossibly treated.

Her last win came in a handicap chase at Killarney last July (17f gd) and that triumph came off a mark of 117. She has winning and placed form on ground ranging from good to soft so once it isn’t bottomless she will be fine. She has a good record when running over hurdles at Ballybrit, producing form figures of 3321848. Lily The Lioness has to bounce back from a couple of poor runs this season, but this is likely to have been the plan for some time and she is worth chancing each way at 25/1.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: LILY THE LIONESS E/W @ 25/1

RACE 3

I fancied Riverrainshine to run a big race for local trainer Stephen Mahon on Day 1 but he ran a stinker. Mahon is a trainer that loves having winners at this meeting and I think Highway Royal is massively overpriced for him in this 2m 5f handicap hurdle. He was in the process of running a huge race when unseating at Ballinrobe last time out and he would have been placed at the very least.

He gets to race off the same mark of 117 here and Robbie Dunne has been booked for the ride. Highway Royal ran a cracker here over a furlong shorter in a Novice Hurdle back in October, staying on strongly up the hill on the yielding ground. He is likely to have been aimed at this race, he will handle an ease in the ground and with the extra furlong in his favour he is worth backing each way at odds of 33/1.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: HIGHWAY ROYAL E/W @ 33/1

RACE 4

A trappy looking maiden and no bet for me.

RACE 5

The big one and I have posted a selection for Mybettingbonus which you can find by clicking here.

RACE 6

Harry Rogers has his string in superb form at the moment and the step back up to a mile could work the oracle for Ontheiflist. This 3yo son of Iffraajj remains a maiden after 10 runs but he definitely has ability and he has gone close on more than one occasion. He races off a mark of 79 here, just 2lb higher than when finishing a close 2nd at Leopardstown on his last run at a mile.

He has placed form in a couple of maidens too, over 7f on heavy at Sligo and over 8f on yielding ground at Bellewstown. He has also run well on good ground so whatever the weather does he won’t mind. Rogers has had three winners in the last two weeks, Chris Hayes takes over in the saddle and with the step back up to a mile to suit he could go close at odds of 14/1.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: ONTHEIFLIST @ 14/1 E/W

RACE 7

Another maiden that I will be swerving. No bet.

RACE 8

I have tipped one up for this race for Mybettingbonus and you can find out my fancy by clicking here.