There aren’t too many certainties at the Galway festival, but one sure thing is how Sirius won’t be 50-1 for Friday evening’s feature.
The Willie Mullins-trained mare was a huge outsider for Monday’s Connacht Hotel Handicap, renowned as Irish racing’s amateur Derby, only to wind up a spectacular winner for her owner/rider David Dunsdon.
Sirius came from last to first, circled the entire field, and still wound up beating Baltic Bird by 3½ lengths.
It wasn’t as if the pace collapsed in front of her either, so plenty will jump on how she is technically 5lbs well in on readjusted handicap terms for the €110,000 Guinness Handicap over a mile-and-a-half.
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Throw in an inside draw, as well as Shane Foley taking the mount, and Sirius will be widely fancied to emulate Princess Zoe (2020) and Whiskey Sour (2017) who pulled off the same festival double.
Baltic Bird’s connections will try to go one better this time through the ex-Mark Prescott-trained Eagle’s Way, who impressed with a Bellewstown success last month and remains on the same mark.
The Durkan horses have been running well at Ballybrit this week and betting value could be had in Eagle’s Way taking them into the winners’ circle.
The Friday date has turned into one of the busiest festival cards, with almost 31,000 squeezing into the track in 2019.
The bank holiday crowds can anticipate a hugely competitive jumps feature too as 20 line up for the €80,000 Galway Blazers Handicap Chase.
They include a trio of British challengers including the veteran Cap Du Nord, although conditions may suit Whacker Clan whose trainer Henry de Bromhead is chasing a hat-trick of victories in the race.
Pulled up after a bad mistake in the Scottish National, Whacker Clan was previously a good third in Cheltenham’s Kim Muir and relishes nice ground.
Andromeda can continue Aidan O’Brien’s good festival in the mile-and-a-half maiden. The sister to Irish Guineas winner Peaceful should step up for her return to action at Bellewstown.
Separately, Ryan Moore is in New York on Friday night to ride O’Brien’s filly Greenfinch in the $400,000 Grade Two Saratoga Oaks.
A Listed winner in Killarney on her last start, Greenfinch takes on six opponents in the 10-furlong heat. They include the likely favourite, Godolphin’s Cinderella’s Dream, who will be ridden by William Buick. The race is due off at 10.10 Irish time.
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