Galway Monday - Early Market Round Up

Daily guide to the early trade in the markets at Galway with Eoin Ryan of Betfair.

Stamina will be the name of the game for man and horse alike, as although the weather is set to be fair for the majority of the week, the track is sure to be testing and won?t suit everything. Certainly, shouldering a big weight is going to prove a tough ask and punters will no doubt want to hear from the jockeys taking part in the first about how the track is riding before opening their wallets properly. The advance going for today?s card is ?Soft, Heavy in Places? but that may well change as the sun is out and the course is sure to be drying out by the hour. Morning trade with the high street bookmakers has been fairly lively, whilst the exchanges haven?t really caught fire just yet, with fairly quiet trade across the board on Betfair.

Proceedings get underway at 5.10PM with a 2M Novice Hurdle and the Dermot Weld/Ruby Walsh combo - who won the race last year with the Summer Soul - again team up with Lisselan Eagle. This is the one that punters have latched onto early and they aren?t being put off by having to play at odds-on. The best price that can be had right now is Betfred?s 4-5 but given that the horse currently trades at 1.7 on Betfair, that price probably won?t last very long. William Hills are shortest of the big boys at 4/7. The early ?Evens? on the exchanges was taken and very little is being backed against the favourite. Weld looks likely to kick-off the meeting with a winner judged by the market moves. Positive: Lisselan Eagle. Negative: None.

The 2M handicap Hurdle at 5.45PM looks like a really trappy affair but Ruby Walsh has fair prospects of an opening race double. He rides the Tony Martin-trained She?s Supersonic and the early indications are that this one is going to be supported on-course. The early 7-1 has well and truly been gobbled up and the 7 year-old mare is as short as 9-2 now with Stan James. Several firms are still offering 6-1 but with punters on Betfair already prepared to play at under those odds, it a fair bet that the 6-1 will soon vanish. Keep a close eye on this one in the market during the afternoon and obviously all positive moves need to be greatly respected coming from this yard. Edward O?Grady?s Salt Lake had been put in as the early 5-1 favourite but ranks as a negative in the market (worries over the ground) and trades at 7-1 now. Positive: She?s Supersonic. Negative: Salt Lake

The 7F Maiden at 6.20 will be a big betting heat and Dermot Weld?s record in the race is nothing short of staggering. He took the race yet again last year with Fleeting Shadow and has no qualms about running potential top notchers in the race, as evidenced by the fact that Grey Swallow took this in 2003, en route to an Irish Derby victory the following year. His once-raced colt, Domestic Fund, is a solid 5-4 favorite (from 6-4). Aidan O?Brien rates Lucifer Sam quite highly and expects him to improve again on his last outing but punters are steering clear of him and he rates as the negative in the market. Jim Bolger?s Chun Tosaigh has attracted each way support at 4-1 and has been clipped into 7-2 generally. He may prove the biggest threat to the favourite. Positive: Domestic Fund. Negative: Lucifer Sam

The feature on Day 1, the GPT Galway (QR) Handicap is a typically open affair but there has been early support for the Michael O?Brien-trained Essex (5?s into 4?s) and he is almost certain to be sent off as favourite. He?s well treated on the flat and comes here off the back of a hurdles victory at Tipperary two weeks ago. Apart from the favourite there hasn?t been any major support for anything else, although Tom Hogan?s Bluebyyou does warrant a mention on the basis that he is trading at a tight 10-1 on Betfair, so the 10-1 still available generally (and the 11-1 with Skybet) is likely to go sooner rather than later. He?d be the each way horse in a race where there is no major negative as yet. Positives: Essex, Bluebyyou. Negative: None

Top weighted and not particularly well drawn she may be, but Emily Blake is one of the best backed horses of the day and any remaining 9-4 will probably evaporate closer to post time. She carries a mandatory 5lb penalty for her Limerick win last week and may well be very attractively handicapped here. Punters certainly seem to think so. A top price of 7-2 on Betfair this morning to small money, she?s a solid looking favourite in what is a lightly-traded heat. Positive: Emily Blake. Negative: None

The 8.15 is a 1M4F Handicap is probably the most open event of the day and nothing as yet has caught the imagination of punters. Of those at the head of the market, Sadler?s Kingdom is perhaps the most interesting. Trained in England by Richard Fahy, he comes here off the back of a win at Nottingham and should appreciate the step up in trip. With 8st7lbs to carry he looks to be one with an improver?s profile and there has been some early support at 7-1. Gentleman Jeff was put in as the 5-1 favourite in the Racing Post but hasn?t found any friends there and trades at around 7-1 now. He rates as an early negative in what is still a developing market. Positive: Sadler?s Kingdom. Negative: Gentleman Jeff

The Bumper at 8.45 will also see plenty of cash change hands and it?s another DK Weld inmate that has attracted the lions share of the early money in the market. Dashing Romeo is still a 3-1 shot generally (Ladbrokes go 9-4), whilst those playing on Betfair have shortened him up to 3-1 from an early 9-2. He can be expected to improve from his debut 5th of 18 at the Curragh in early May and obviously deserves the highest respect coming from these quarters. Hard and Fast has been nibbled at each way on the high-street, with one or two firms clipping him into 11-2 (from 7?s) but it?s understandably quiet outside of the favourite. Positive: Dashing Romeo. Negative: None