The Galway Festival draws to a close on Sunday and Fran Berry has two tips for the day's action, including Swelltime in the last.
I'm heading to Cork today for an all-jumps affair but it's Flat all the way on the final day of the Galway Festival and the first thing to note is that the ground is likely to be pretty testing.
That won't be a problem for Njord, Jessica Harrington's favourite for the big Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Ahonoora' Handicap, the traditional feature on the Sunday at Ballybrit.
He ran a great race to be second in the COLM QUINN BWN Mile Handicap here on Tuesday, being collared close home from a wide draw.
But he had won over 10 furlongs on his previous outing at the Curragh so I'm happy to oppose as he drops back again in trip over the seven furlongs this afternoon.
The one I like it JASSAAR for Oisin Orr and Dermot Weld, who was always considered the king of Galway and did have a couple of winners at the start of the week.
Weld's horses have continued in decent form and I think this has been a target for Jassaar following a relatively luckless run in the race last year, after which he went on to win the Irish Cambridgeshire.
He made an eyecatching comeback run at Cork and was clearly the one to take out of the race last time as he did well to get so close.
He's a big horse and handles the ground, while we'll take our chances from stall 11 with cheekpieces fitted for the first time here. I suspect connections are putting them on with the seven furlong trip in mind and at 10/1 (Sky Bet 1/5 1,2,3,4,5) he makes plenty of each-way appeal.
I'm sure it's been a long week for some with Goodwood and Galway both such tricky tracks to work out but hold on for the last today as SWELLTIME (8/1 General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5) looks one to side with.
Most runs of his form is on yielding ground or better but he comes here in such good form and is 'jumping fit' having won over hurdles so I don't think the ground will be that much of an issue.
He was unlucky to be beaten a nose on the line from a wide draw at the Curragh off just 3lb lower, is still a very lightly raced individual and the pick of his efforts last year - including a win over the now 88-rated Pearl Warrior at Fairyhouse - reads really well.
Posted at 0955 BST on 02/08/20
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