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- Galway Festival: Expert Tips for Saturday's Races
Galway Festival: Expert Tips for Saturday's Races
© Healy Racing Photos
It’s the penultimate day of the Galway Festival on Saturday and a bumper eight-race mixed card has attracted some big fields, including in the featured Listed handicap hurdle.
The action kicks off at 14:02 and runs through to the finale at 18:05 and our expert, Marcus Buckland, has provided selections and analysis for three of the races on Saturday’s card.
Saturday’s Tips
BoyleSports Betting Offer
14.02 Galway - Brosna Town
Peter Fahey ’s Astelia is probably the pick of those with previous experience in the opening maiden hurdle, but he has his limitations and could be vulnerable to any above-average newcomers, including the Dermot Weld-trained BROSNA TOWN.
The selection looks like being a rare runner over hurdles for his legendary Flat trainer, but Weld took this race in 2017 with Aydoun and has long been associated with winners at this festival.
The four-year-old has shown some useful form on the Flat up to 1m6f, winning a Fairyhouse maiden last summer and a Dundalk handicap off a mark of 80 early this year. He’s currently rated 84 on turf and could take some stopping if translating that ability to this new discipline.
Harry’s Legacy is fairly exposed, but he ran a good race on the Flat at this track earlier this week and represents Ross O’Sullivan, who has an impressive strike-rate with his runners over jumps at this track.
2.022m. 175yds. 19 Declared.
BoyleSports Best Odds Guaranteed Mdn Hdl of €17,000.00 4-y-o plus
- Formscan
- Race Info
- Conditions
1st - €10,200.00 2nd - €3,400.00 3rd - €1,700.00 4th - €850.00 5th - €510.00 6th - €340.00 Going - N.H.: Good. Flat: good to yielding CHANGED to yielding after race 6. Fine
Formscan By Gary Carson- NIGHT MOON is very interesting on his first outing for Willie Mullins. He cost 100,000gns at the sales back in October 2023 after a very impressive win in a Listowel handicap the previous month. The German-bred has obviously had a long spell on the sidelines since but fitness is rarely an issue coming from Closutton and he could be a nice addition to the jumping ranks now. Stede Bonnet has won two bumpers, including a decent looking event at Bellewstown last month. He looks an obvious contender on his jumping debut. Ebony King looked like a nice sort when winning his bumper at Tipperary and is another for the shortlist.
A hurdle for four years old and upwards, maidens at starting
Weights - 4-y-o 11st 9lbs 5-y-o and up 11st 12lbs Mares allowed 7lbs
Odds Shortening 
Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 7th | Night Moon | 15/8  1/1 | 5/4 |
13 | 6th | Stede Bonnet | 9/2 3/1 | 7/2 |
1 | p.u. | Figaruso | 16/1 8/1 | 8/1 |
14 | 2nd | Tatateo | 11/1 7/1 | 8/1 |
9 | 1st | Ebony King | 6/1 9/2 | 8/1 |
2 | 10th | Go To Town | 33/1 14/1 | 14/1 |
7 | 5th | Brosna Town | 7/1  16/1 | 16/1 |
12 | 3rd | Pistocchi | 16/1 | |
17 | 4th | West End Victory | 40/1 | |
21 | 11th | Goldinthevalleys | 12/1 50/1 | 40/1 |
16 | 9th | Shannon Bank | 50/1 | |
18 | 14th | Hello Johnjoe | 33/1 66/1 | 66/1 |
19 | 17th | Invincible Oscar | 80/1 | |
11 | 13th | Monkeyforajuice | 80/1 | |
8 | 16th | Buckle And Bolts | 100/1 | |
6 | 8th | Serotonin | 33/1 100/1 | 100/1 |
20 | 15th | Might Be The One | 33/1 66/1 | 100/1 |
10 | 12th | Fine Print | 33/1 66/1 | 125/1 |
4 | fell | Just Dennis | 200/1 | |
15 | n.r. | Astelia | 9/1 5/1 | 5/1 |
3 | n.r. | Harry's Legacy | 7/1 | |
22 | n.r. | Caman Rocco | 14/1 22/1 | 22/1 |
23 | n.r. | Marians Gal | 100/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 133% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 3 1/5 | |||
5/4
15.12 Galway - Ambitious Fellow
© Healy Racing Photos
AMBITIOUS FELLOW has run some fair races in defeat over fences of late, but he’s an even better hurdler and has to be of major interest in the feature handicap over an extended 2m6f, a race he won off 1lb higher in 2023.
Peter Fahey’s nine-year-old is on a lengthy losing run, but he finished a creditable third over fences behind subsequent Grade 3 placed Intellotto at Limerick in May and followed that with a near-miss in a 15-runner handicap chase at Roscommon in June, which was his best run for some time.
He’s the only course-and-distance winner in the line-up and won’t have any excuses on the forecast soft ground.
Willie Mullins’ Maughreen disappointed at Listowel last time, but she was considered good enough to contest a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse previously and looks leniently treated off a mark of 122.
3.122m. 6f. 108yds. 20 Declared.
BoyleSports H'cap H'dle of €110,000.00 4-y-o plus
- Formscan
- Race Info
- Conditions
1st - €66,000.00 2nd - €22,000.00 3rd - €11,000.00 4th - €5,500.00 5th - €3,300.00 6th - €2,200.00 Going - N.H.: Good. Flat: good to yielding CHANGED to yielding after race 6. Fine
Formscan By Gary Carson- There looks to be a big pot in CHART TOPPER. The Walk In The Park gelding ran really well in a competitive event at Punchestown when last seen, having been well supported from big prices then. He got shuffled back to the rear before the third last and did well to come wide and finish off strongly to take sixth place. He actually got raised a pound for that effort but looks capable of better. Paul Townend sides with Maughreen. She didn’t quite live up to early promise last season but a mark of 122 looks attractive enough. Teed Up is a standing dish around here but looked to have a tough enough race when winning here on Wednesday.
An extended handicap hurdle for four years old and upwards that have run at least four times in hurdle races up to and including 20th July 2025
Penalties - Winner of a hurdle race or hurdle races after calculation of the handicap shall carry any penalty or penalties which may be allotted by the Handicapper.
Odds Shortening Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
20 | 1st | Winning Smut | 6/1 4/1 | 5/1 |
9 | 12th | So Scottish | 11/2 | |
19 | 13th | Maughreen | 6/1 | |
15 | 4th | Teed Up | 6/1 | |
3 | 3rd | Chart Topper | 11/1 13/2 | 15/2 |
| 12 | 6th | Vischio | 16/1 7/1 | 11/1 |
16 | 8th | Watch The Weather | 16/1 8/1 | 12/1 |
1 | 17th | Reverend Hubert | 12/1 18/1 | 18/1 |
7 | 14th | Tonaghneave Well | 16/1 25/1 | 20/1 |
4 | 9th | Topgun Simmy | 11/1 22/1 | 20/1 |
6 | 5th | Mousey Brown | 40/1 20/1 | 22/1 |
14 | 15th | Butcher Hollow | 16/1 22/1 | 25/1 |
13 | 11th | Baltic Bird | 10/1 25/1 | 25/1 |
8 | 2nd | Fascile Mode | 16/1 25/1 | 28/1 |
2 | 16th | Timmy Tuesday | 14/1 25/1 | 28/1 |
21 | 10th | Grimaud | 33/1 | |
17 | 18th | Coral River | 22/1 40/1 | 33/1 |
10 | 7th | Stormalong | 25/1 50/1 | 66/1 |
18 | 19th | Golden Temple | 66/1 | |
11 | w.d. | Dream On Baby | 10/1 | |
22 | n.r. | Ad Caelum | 40/1 22/1 | 22/1 |
5 | n.r. | Ambitious Fellow | 33/1 | |
| Betting Percentage | 131% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 5 1/5 | |||
18.05 Galway - Oriole
The Mark Fahey-trained ORIOLE ran a remarkable race to finish third after completely blowing the start at Tramore last month and will take plenty of stopping in the concluding middle-distance handicap, providing she gets away on terms this time.
The six-year-old not only walked out of the stalls on that occasion, but she met with significant interference when in the process of making ground on the leaders over a furlong out.
She was beaten almost six lengths behind all-the-way leader No Niki No, but it was a commendable effort in the circumstances.
It was comfortably her best run since joining this yard from Natalia Lupini at the start of the season and having two runs over a mile at Limerick and Cork in the spring.
She was last successful in this race 12 months ago when beating Willie Mullins' Alpha Capture by two lengths off a 1lb lower mark, and she has plenty in her favour.
6.051m. 3f. 180yds. 18 Declared.
McDonogh Capital Investments H'cap of €18,000.00 4-y-o plus
- Formscan
- Race Info
- Conditions
1st - €10,800.00 2nd - €3,600.00 3rd - €1,800.00 4th - €900.00 5th - €540.00 6th - €360.00 Going - N.H.: Good. Flat: good to yielding CHANGED to yielding after race 6. Fine
Formscan By Alan Magee- ORIOLE beat Alpha Capture by two lengths in this race 12 months ago and the pair may fight it out again. The selection has joined Mark Fahey from Natalia Lupini this season and wasn’t helped by a slow start before staying on into third at Tramore last time. Alpha Capture steps back up to this trip after catching the eye over shorter distances including here on Tuesday. Thatwilldoso probably put up a career best when finishing strongly to win over an extended 1m2f at Roscommon and now tackles this distance for the first time, while others to consider include First Ascent, Luker’s Tipple and Pillar Of Hope.
An extended handicap for four years old and upwards (80 = 10st)
Penalties - (after calculation of the handicap) A winner shall carry 7lb extra for each race won.
Odds Shortening Odds Lengthening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
56 | 4th | Alpha Capture | 5/2 7/2 | 4/1 |
2010 | 8th | Positive Energy | 18/1 11/2 | 11/2 |
162 | 5th | Pillar Of Hope | 9/1 7/1 | 6/1 |
94 | 9th | Oriole | 7/2 13/2 | 13/2 |
1015 | 17th | Impero | 14/1 6/1 | 7/1 |
1111 | 6th | Rock Of Ireland | 14/1 9/1 | 11/1 |
173 | 1st | Thatwilldoso | 10/1 16/1 | 12/1 |
121 | 12th | Luker's Tipple | 10/1 14/1 | 14/1 |
716 | 7th | Ina Mina | 16/1 | |
131 | 3rd | Navy Waters | 12/1 18/1 | 16/1 |
319 | 14th | First Ascent | 11/1 18/1 | 16/1 |
| 129 | 16th | Solomon | 25/1 18/1 | 20/1 |
617 | 2nd | Burren Song | 10/1 22/1 | 22/1 |
1413 | 11th | Catena Zapata | 33/1 | |
212 | 18th | Bruant | 33/1 | |
187 | 13th | Luminous Light | 16/1 40/1 | 33/1 |
85 | 15th | La Dame Blanche | 40/1 | |
1520 | 10th | Gangster Granny | 40/1 | |
48 | n.r. | Razdan | 22/1 16/1 | 14/1 |
2114 | n.r. | Si Senior | 22/1 16/1 | 22/1 |
1918 | n.r. | Victoria Kesia | 66/1 33/1 | 40/1 |
| Betting Percentage | 139% | |||
| Each-Way Terms | 5 1/5 | |||
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