Jessica Harrington’s vintage flat campaign can continue on day five of the Galway festival. The renowned trainer has already passed last year’s 43-winner haul and is rapidly closing in on the €1 million prize money mark for this season.
She has six runners on Friday evening’s card, including the progressive filly Camphor in the featured €120,000 Guinness Handicap.
No three-year-old has won the mile and a half heat since 2001. But along with Aidan O’Brien’s Il Paradiso, a 12-length winner last time, the classic generation look set to figure prominently this time.
Il Paradiso is rated 15lb higher for his wide-margin win over two miles last time, whereas Camphor was hiked the same for running away with the Ulster Oaks on her last start.
Unlike her rival, Camphor is trying a mile and a half for the first time but she should be well suited to step up in trip.
Willie Mullins has won this three times in the past four years, and this time is represented by Legal Spin and Mr Adjudicator, who both ran in Monday’s big amateur race.
Mr Adjudicator got little luck in running in fourth earlier this week, although could need more than a mile and a half to show his best. Veteran rider Kevin Manning gets down to 8.8 for the mount.
Harrington’s high-class middle-distance performer The King has won just once from 13 starts but a 107 rating is hard to argue with in the context of the finale.
Possibly the most interesting Harrington runner, however, is Alpine Star in a hot-looking two-year-old auction maiden.
Bad draw
Alpha Centauri’s half-sister had an encouraging debut when third to Love at Leopardstown last month but has been lumbered with a 12 of 12 draw this time.
That’s a significant negative over seven furlongs here and it could prove a decisive plus for her rival Santiago, runner-up to Howling Wolf on his own Leopardstown debut.
There are two €80,000 National Hunt prizes on offer, including the Galway Blazers Handicap Chase in which Joseph O’Brien’s Treasure Chest could complete a hat-trick after wins at Clonmel and Roscommon.
Gavin Cromwell’s Lever du Soleil has made summer hay with four flat wins in Britain during July.
He’s back over flights for the valuable opening handicap hurdle and in current form should be a prime contender.
In other news, Aidan O’Brien’s representative at Goodwood on Friday is Old Glory, who tries to land a Group Three success.
The 2017 Orby Sale topper at €1.6 million has proved mostly disappointing this season and was edged out by Insignia of Rank in the Curragh’s Celebration Stakes last time.
Ryan Moore takes the ride again in a race that also includes Biometric, winner of the Britannia at Royal Ascot in June.
