Luska to head Galway Hurdle field John Hanlon has given top-weight Luska Lad the green light to contest the Guinness Galway Hurdle next week. The six-year-old is one of 42 entries still remaining in the valuable event, and recent rain has given the County Carlow handler cause for optimism. "I was absolutely delighted with the rain we've had and he's in great form, so we are going for the hurdle with him without a doubt," said Hanlon. "He was brilliant the whole year, but we shouldn't have gone to Punchestown as the ground was too quick. We worked him at Tipperary the other morning, Davy Russell rode him and said he felt super. "Davy will ride him next week. I thought about claiming off him but as soon as Davy was fit, he knows the horse so well I think he is worth the 5lb of a claimer." Donald McCain's Overturn is the ante-post favourite. The versatile six-year-old has won the Scottish Champion Hurdle, finished second in the Swinton Hurdle and won the Northumberland Plate on the level in his last three starts. Fellow British entries include Phil Kirby's Amazing King, Evan Williams' Dantari and Tiger O'Toole, Michael Scudamore's Gloucester, Brian Ellison's Palomar and Paul Nicholls' Truxton King. All the major fancies have stood their ground including last year's winner Bahrain Storm, Gordon Elliott's Dirar, Jessica Harrington's Gimli's Rock and New Phase, representing Galway king Dermot Weld.
