Robbie Lee has a handful of horses to follow at the Galway Festival this week.
The Galway Races Summer Festival, one of the biggest weeks in Irish racing, has arrived. Seven days of racing, running from Monday to Sunday, sees competitive action under both codes and excellent prize money on offer, including a feature race each day worth a minimum of €110,000.
Whether you are following every race, or just looking for a few horses to note, here are five to keep onside for the early stages of the week.
DANCING SAXON - MONDAY 19:15
A lot can go wrong in a 15-runner handicap over seven furlongs at Galway, but this Joseph O’Brien-trained runner should be up to justifying short-priced favouritism. The three-year-old is bang in form this season and, after finishing a close second in a Listed race just last week, she has a chance to run off the same mark of 80 before going up 16lbs in the weights.
WHICH FLANNERYS - MONDAY 20:20
In what appears to be a very hot bumper, another Joseph O’Brien-trained runner looks the one to side with. The gelding made a promising debut at Punchestown when flying home to finish second and looks a big player on that form, with Barry O’Neill riding, who is a positive booking.
ARGENTARIUS - TUESDAY 18:15
It usually takes a good filly to win this maiden, and the Daniel Murphy-trained runner could be up to landing this contest. She was sent off just 6/1 on debut at Cork over six-furlongs and ran a promising race to finish a close second. The winner of that race has since won a Group Three, and with a repeat of that performance, she should have a big say under Ben Coen.
GREY LEADER - TUESDAY 20:15
Despite showing no form in recent runs, this gelding cannot be forgotten about when it comes to Galway. Two years ago, he won at the Festival off a mark 15lb higher and also run a fine race at the September meeting off a mark 12lbs higher last year, both when trained by Joe Murphy. A career-low mark finds this six-year-old in 0-70 company and, with first-time cheekpieces fitted, he could be a massive price.
WAHRAAN - WEDNESDAY 20:20
British trainer Jess Bedi is sending a few runners over to Galway and they look to have a nice chance with Wahraan. The eight-year-old was fifth in the Connacht Hotel Q.R. last year off 10lbs higher and was forced to race very wide turning for home. Coming here off the back of a success over hurdles at Market Rasen, the gelding could be involved off bottom weight under Leigh Roche.
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