The voice of Irish horse racing picks out his three best bets for the third day of the Galway Festival.
PERCEVAL LEGALLOIS
4/1
has been favourite for this year’s Tote Galway Plate pretty much since prices went up and the seven year-old really does looks something of a standout for the day three feature.
A smart hurdler, probably unlucky to be denied at the 2022 festival here, he has made up into an even better chaser and the fact that connections started him off at today’s venue last October suggests that they may have had this valuable affair in mind as a long-term target even then. Plenty would disagree but I thought he would have won when coming down at the final fence at Leopardstown on his handicap debut at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, and while it was a shade disappointing that he couldn’t contain Hgranca De Thaix at Punchestown subsequently that form has actually worked out quite well.
It was good to see him apparently enjoy being ridden more positively on that occasion – such tactics are so often beneficial in this race – and though 5lb higher now Gavin Cromwell’s gelding clearly retains plenty of potential upside. Zanahiyr doesn’t look on a bad mark over fences and may emerge as the main threat.
Elsewhere on the card ALFHEIM
/
might be able to get off the mark in the 1m4f maiden for amateur riders at 18:40. Though it is a slight concern that the full-sister to Group 1 winner Laganore hasn’t been seen since Irish Guineas weekend, her fourth to Hanalia there has been handsomely boosted by both the winner and runner-up Lily Hart in the interim. David Doyle is very good value for his 7lb allowance, and when that is factored in Jessica Harrington’s filly will be in receipt of a large chunk of weight from her main rivals.
NOSTRA CASA
/
can go well at a likely decent price in the competitive 2m+ handicap that rounds off proceedings. Paul Flynn’s charge looked a possible Galway type when scoring at Navan on his bow only to disappoint when attempting a follow-up at Killarney. He got back on track with a decent effort at the Curragh last time however and is likely to have been primed for this.
