TIP Top Fri Jul 30th 2010 Off Field Weekend Nap Jul 31st/Aug 1st Flash McGahon (Cork 3-10 Sunday) Galway Saturday - Analysis 4-00 Plenty of these have run already this week, most of them not particularly well. The obvious exception is Ask Jack (who was also 2nd in this race last year), winner of the Premier Mile Handicap on Tuesday evening. Miss Eze will be running for the third time at the meeting but while she is obviously in super form, and ran well again on Thursday after her win on Tuesday, it's hardly ideal preparation for a Premier Handicap. It's hard to see any excuses for many of the also-rans of earlier in the week: Maundy Money finds current going too fast, Sixteen Forty Two doesn't seem to go as well right-handed, Drombeg Dawn can't seem to hack the uphill finish here, Fit The Cove just isn't in form. The bottom-line is that the last six winners of this race had finished 1st or 2nd on their most recent outing which narrows it down to Ask Jack and Little Arrows. Toufan Express (4th on his only career outing at the track, when going clear off the home-turn before fading in the final furlong in a 50-80 7f race at last year's meeting) would be a possible outsider - at least he hasn't blotted his copybook already this week. TIP Ratings: Fit The Cove, Ask Jack, Toufan Express TIP Odds: ?/? Broad Meaning; 9/2 Ask Jack; 11/2 Little Arrows; 9/1 Drombeg Dawn; 10/1 bar Selection: Ask Jack 5-00 The two-mile handicaps are among the best races for betting on at Galway - it's simply about recent (winning) form and proven stamina. CD specialist My Valley ran a stinker on Tuesday so it's hard to imagine she will suddenly come forward from that. Isabellareine, Mr Bones and Total Excitement have been in good form over hurdles recently - Mr Bones would probably be the strongest stayer amongst the trio. The Lady Granuaile was an eye-catcher in the two-miler on Tuesday. Nans Best is in good form but I'm not sure that winning at Clonmel is conclusive proof that he is a strong stayer at this trip. The going might be a bit quick for Lough Ferrib. Lus Na Hoiche is the one who ticks all the boxes. A strong stayer, adaptable as regards going and winner of the Killarney race in July won by Rooftop Protest and Cybersnow in recent years before they also 'won' this race. Mr Bones as the danger. TIP Trends: Lus Na Hoiche, My Valley, Schelm TIP Ratings: Lough Ferrib, Total Excitement, Mr Bones TIP Odds: 11/2 Mr Bones; 15/2 Schelm; 8/1 Lough Ferrib, Total Excitement; 9/1 Lus Na Hoiche; 10/1 bar Selection: Lus Na Hoiche Thu Jul 29th 2010 Galway Friday - Analysis 6-50 Bob Le Beau is progressive, likes fast going, can improve for the step up in trip and was only a short-head behind Monday's impressive winner Notalossonya last time. That said, 3yos struggle against their elders in middle-distance handicaps at this meeting. Tin Town Boy goes well at Galway and has the look of a horse which has been trained for this race - he is a likely outsider. Gimli's Rock missed the cut for the Galway Hurdle yesterday but he remains competitively handicapped on the level relative to his Jumps level. Pat Flynn's yard was in red-hot form leading up to Galway but he is still waiting for his first winner at the big meeting - the revitalised Mon Champion might be the one to right that. TIP Trends: Tin Town Boy, Mon Champion, Rajik TIP Ratings: Gimli's Rock, Celtic Dane, Bob Le Beau TIP Odds: ?/? Natural High; 15/2 Mon Champion; 8/1 Bob Le Beau, Gimli's Rock; 10/1 bar Selection: Mon Champion Wed Jul 28th 2010 Galway Thursday - Analysis 3-00 The ever-quickening going is a positive for Final Flashback who ran a creditable race behind Ask Jack in the Premier Handicap over course-and-distance on Tuesday. In the past the likes of Golden Fact and Markskeepingfaith have come on to win this race having also run in the big race earlier in the week. In-form Luttrell Lady continues to enjoy the quick racing conditions but this drop back in trip will ask a difficult question of her, after a win over 10 furlongs last time. A similar trip question attaches to Home Secretary. Dermot Weld's Designated Decoy will offer no betting value. Separate Ways was second in this race last year. Admittedly he came into that race off the back of two wins at Killarney but this year's recent unplaced efforts should be set in context - his past two runs have been in Premier handicaps. If first-time blinkers here can spark a return to form he is certainly competitively handicapped and offers some betting value. TIP Trends: Final Flashback, Inwood TIP Ratings: Separate Ways, Putapriceonthat, Final Flashback TIP Odds: 13/2 Final Flashback; 7/1 Separate Ways; 8/1 Luttrell Lady; 10/1 bar Selection: Separate Ways 3-35 This Fillies contest is much more competitive than usual, having attracted a maximum field of sixteen. In the light of a Listed placing at Chantilly last autumn Hallie's Comet looks fairly-handicapped on 92. That said, I can never be convinced that a Dermot Weld runner is a value bet at Galway - it's a shame for me that he wins so many races there! Blaze Brightly came up just short against the unexposed Coastal Waters at Naas recently and, while that race was weak in numbers, the race-time was solid. Miss Eze continues in fine form and won over course-and-distance on Tuesday. The Silver Crown is thriving on her racing and the manner of her win last time at Ballinrobe was enough to make a handicapper blush. A drop back in trip, a change of going and a rise in grade are each major challenges as the grey attempts to complete a hat-trick. Nevertheless, on the basis that wellbeing is everything in fillies races, it's difficult not to row in with Michael Mulvany's runner. TIP Trends: The Silver Crown, Smart Striking TIP Ratings: Hallie's Comet, Mean Lae, Camira TIP Odds: 6/1 The Silver Crown; 7/1 Smart Striking; 9/1 Blaze Brightly, Camira, Miss Eze Selection: The Silver Crown 5-30 Force Of Habit will deserve to be a short price here. Already the winner of two middle-distance Flat handicaps this season he confirmed his progression by winning a Novice hurdle on Monday evening. It's difficult to say anything negative about his chance here, bar that the Weld factor is sure the compress his odds even more. That said, Strandfield Lady is in the form of her life and is worth chancing against 'the good thing'. TIP Trends: Force Of Habit, Lizzie Bennett, Strandfield Lady TIP Ratings: Force Of Habit, Makhaaleb, Lac A Dancer TIP Odds: 9/4 Force Of Habit; 13/2 Strandfield Lady; 10/1 bar Selection: Strandfield Lady Tue Jul 27th 2010 Galway Wednesday - Selections 6-00 Gracchus finished strongly to take a 7f handicap at Leopardstown last Thursday and both the 3lb he is well-in under an automatic penalty and the good race-time there highlight his strong chance here. The step up to this mile-plus can only be a positive. Busy prior to that over hurdles (including a maiden win at Tipperary), Noel Meade's runner has taken time to establish his level and find some consistency and he looks handicapped to win again on the level. Peculiar Prince looks likely to offer some betting value here also. A course-and-distance winner five years ago and second in this race last year, Liam McAteer's runner came back to form on cue at his beloved Bellewstown last time when a close third behind Sixteen Forty Two. The drying ground is a plus for Peculiar Prince and he is very competitive in this 50-70 grade. 6-35 Plenty of unexposed runners in this 3yo handicap (five of them won last time out) but by the same token not so many of them have convincingly established their rating. Prince Jock was kidded along to win an ordinary maiden at Fairyhouse, while Rare Symphony was strongly driven early when breaking his duck last time at Naas. The English challenger Elmfield Giant merits respect - a few subsequent winners have come from his most recent races. I like the profile of Luddenmore here. Hardened by handicap racing, including a win on fast ground at Listowel in early June, his most recent mid-division finish at Killarney should be qualified by the fact that he was crowded for racing room in the final furlongs. The available odds will reward taking the risk on the class rise he has to cope with here and the quickening going is a positive. Tue Jul 27th 2010 Galway Tuesday - Selections 8-05 Things could hardly have worked out better for Fit The Cove here. Dropping into this 50-80 grade for the first time in nearly six years, he comes into the race off a last time out and recent placing, has received a favourable high draw and will be ridden by 3lb-claiming Danny Mullins who has made his mark at this meeting over the past few years. Fit The Cove, of course, won twice at the meeting last year (including the Premier handicap over course-and-distance) to bring his Flat form-figures at Galway to: 1100411. It really doesn't get any more straightforward than this in a Galway handicap and, while none of this is a secret from the market-makers, the early betting forecasts look promising and Fit The Cove is a bet at anything bigger than 4/1. Among his more obvious rivals on recent form, both He's Got Rhythm and Initiation have questions to answer on this easier going and it may be Miss Eze who will provide the final challenge. Galway Tuesday preview on Betting @ Betfair blog Sun Jul 25th 2010 Galway Monday - Selections 7-35 Dermot Weld will have weaker runners in handicaps this week than Mutamaleq. The string of recent runner-up finishes should not be held against the gelding as the time ratings (behind Jembatt at Tipperary and Rare Symphony at Naas) and collateral form (Shareen and Spelterini at Killarney) suggest he is fairly handicapped off 73 and in this grade. While Mutamaleq is clearly the one to beat he may, as is often the case with Weld's runners, trade at shorter than he should be. The shortest I could make him is 4/1. The angle in here is to back a filly. In the past seven runnings fillies have filled 70% of the placings from 50% of the runners, winning the last five and completing the forecast in three of the past four years. It's a slightly bizarre trend and possibly something a statistician would suggest is untrustworthy. I can't seem to find any other evidence that fillies/mares are particularly suited to Galway. An attempt to see some logic in it might touch on the idea of the greater endurance of the female of the species and that for 3yos over this stressful trip - 7f the 800 metres of Flat racing? - at this track it is an issue. Anyway, I'm willing to bet on it. After all, the more unorthodox the angle the more likely value can be extracted. So, not many of these fillies are particularly attractive are they? Still, that can be a good thing as most punters will feel the same revulsion and maybe we can find ourselves a heart (head?) of gold. Should she make it off the reserve bench, Cinnin Oir's presence would certainly simplify the process. At Leopardstown last Thursday she produced the latest in a string of consistent efforts, finishing third to Gracchus after showing speed throughout. Cinnin Oir was also second in the 6f handicap at Dundalk in March won in the past two years by Miranda's Girl and Tellelle - the past two winners of this race. Dundrum Dancer is unexposed and can be forgiven an unplaced effort at scrimmage-ridden Sligo last time. Shibhan is the best-handicapped horse in the race on Nursery form in England last year, has the rail draw in fifteen and the assistance of Ben Curtis (the most successful apprentice in Irish Flat handicaps this season) - she is a likely outsider. The temptation here is to have a shot at the forecast. Selection: Dundrum Dancer/Shibhan/(Emily Jane/Cinnin Oir) 6x Reverse CSF The Irish Punter website aims to provide information to punters on horse racing, with the emphasis on handicap racing and the Irish scene. NOTE This website is best viewed through the browser Microsoft Internet Explorer.