Timeform highlight five eyecatchers from the Galway Festival who earned the Horse In Focus Flag.
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This maiden has a habit of throwing up its fair share of future winners and there is no reason why this edition will be any different, the winner having already run to a fairly useful level and chased home by a promising newcomer.
Further back in the field Beauty Thunder also caught the eye, running well in the circumstances having been bumped early in the race and having to race wide on the home turn.
Beauty Thunder kept on well in the closing stages without being knocked about, while he still looked far from the finished article. He is well up to picking up a similar event in the near future and remains a horse to be positive about.
Tannola
Runner-up, 7f fillies' maiden, Tuesday 1 August
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsDermot Weld introduced the high-class Tahiyra in this maiden last year, and while Tannola, another Aga Khan filly, couldn’t emulate her stablemate by making a winning debut, she shaped most promisingly in defeat, picked off only late on by another good prospect, Purple Lily from the Paddy Twomey stable.
Settled in mid-field at halfway, Tannola made progress under three furlongs out and led in the final furlong after quickening in good style but was collared late on, going down by a neck.
Tannola is a half-sister to several winners, including her stable’s useful three-year-old filly Tarawa, while her dam Tanoura won the Galtres Stakes over a mile and a half at York, so she has the pedigree to go on to better things and holds an entry in the Moyglare Stud Stakes which Tahiyra also won last year.
Vultan
Eighth, 1½m handicap, Friday 4 August
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsVultan was sent off at 66/1 in the mile-and-a-half premier handicap at Galway on Friday but he shaped with plenty of promise in mid-division, looking unlucky not to finish closer than eighth.
Vultan travelled well in mid-division but he was short of room and shuffled back two furlongs out, just as the race was starting to unfold.
That cost him all chance, but he kept on well in the straight, finishing with running left, and he is one to look out for having shown enough to suggest that he's capable of taking advantage of his falling mark when back in calmer waters.
Jumps
Hollow Games
Third, 2¾m handicap chase, Wednesday 2 August
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsA prominent position again proved to be an advantage in the Galway Plate so third-placed Hollow Games can have his effort upgraded having fared by far the best of those held up.
Hollow Games was still only ninth jumping the second-last but he kept on strongly on the run-in to take third close home, leaving the impression that he should have finished closer behind a pair who were always prominent.
Hollow Games was campaigned at around two miles during his first season over fences last term, but he had shown useful form over two-and-three-quarter miles as a novice hurdler in 2021/22 and Wednesday's effort underlined that he remains with potential as a staying chaser.
Quantum Realm
Fourth, 2¾m handicap chase, Friday 4 August
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsQuantum Realm had shaped with encouragement when fourth on his return over hurdles at Tipperary last month and he built on that when runner-up back over fences at Galway on Friday.
He still had plenty to do two fences from home, but he stayed on strongly in the straight to get to within a length and three-quarters of the winner, impressing with his response to pressure (was awarded the Timeform large R in-running symbol).
Quantum Realm split another couple of largely unexposed chasers from top yards at Galway and it's worth viewing the trio, who pulled clear of the rest in a race run at a good gallop, in a positive light.
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