It's All An Act © Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Shark Hanlon is confident the prolific It's All An Act can continue his superb run of form in the Faber Audiovisuals Handicap Hurdle at Galway on Sunday.
The 24,000 euro contest is the most valuable event on a seven-race card at the Ballybrit circuit, with It's All An Act sure to be popular with punters as he chases a fourth victory since the start of the month.
This will be the six-year-old's fifth outing in October - he also ran twice in September and four times in August - but his latest all-the-way success at Punchestown a week and a half ago suggested he is thriving on his racing.
Hanlon said: "The last fortnight or three weeks he's just been in unreal form and he still seems really well at home. If the ground had gone for him we'd have stopped, but while the ground is good we wanted to go again with him and it should suit him well in Galway.
"He's in the sales in a fortnight's time, so this will probably be his last run for me, although I've been trying to convince the owners not to let him go! I'd like to keep him in the yard if I can as he's obviously improving and I've said the whole time he'll make a better chaser than he is a hurdler."
It's All An Act is the bottom horse in an eight-runner field, with teenage sensation Johnny Burke in the saddle for the first time.
Colm Murphy has an interesting contender in the form of Glam Gerry. The 10-year-old finished a fine fifth in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham a couple of years ago, but his latest efforts over obstacles have been disappointing.
He makes his first start since the end of March this weekend and Murphy is hoping he can show some of his old spark.
The County Wexford-based trainer said: "We're just hoping for a nice run. He's obviously a good horse and he's been working well at home, but he hasn't been doing on the track of late, so we'll see."
The main event over fences is the Sanserv Rated Novice Chase, in which Murphy saddles Mister Hotelier, who after placed efforts at the summer festivals at Killarney and Galway, got off the mark over fences at Limerick a fortnight ago.
Murphy said: "He's come out of Limerick good and seems well, I'm just hoping this sort of trip around Galway isn't a bit on the sharp side for him. We're hoping they might get a bit of rain, so fingers crossed."
Jim Dreaper is hopeful Cavita Beta will put up a good show in the two-mile-one-furlong contest. The eight-year-old has returned from a near two-year absence in good shape, with a Killarney success sandwiched by a couple of runner-up finishes at Sligo.
The trainer said: "He's in good shape and it's a very tight race on the ratings. The 5lb Johnny (Burke) takes off his back will help, but he'll need to be as good as he can be to win. As long as the ground isn't extreme either way he should be fine."
The Corrib Oil Maiden Hurdle gets proceedings under way, with the Dessie Hughes-trained Thurles bumper winner All Hell Let Loose likely to be a warm order in what looks a fairly moderate affair.
Windsor Park will be the banker of the afternoon for many in the www.swordsecurity.com Qualified Riders Race, with Dermot Weld's charge bidding for a fourth successive victory.
The lightly raced Galileo gelding runs in the familiar colours of Dr Ronan Lambe, for whom the master of Rosewell House has done so well over the years with a string of talented stayers.
They have also been versatile and that will be the watchword of Windsor Park, who won a couple of bumpers before turning up at Gowran in September for a maiden. Showing himself to be not short of speed, he made all under Pat Smullen, and the long-term plan is to go hurdling.
He stays on the level for now, heading eight runners, with Robbie McNamara taking the ride.
Among the opposition is Irish Cesarewitch third Marchese Marconi, the mount of Sarah O'Brien.
