Gallipoli – 7.25 Newcastle – 7F Handicap – 16/1 Bet365 – 1 Point Each Way.
The 8 year old Gallipoli is a real 7F specialist and has won 6 races, with 5 of them being over the 7F. His winning marks are very narrow being between 80 and 86.
Gallipoli is an admirably consistent sort who has been rated between 80 and 92 his whole 6 years of racing.
This season it looks like his shrewd trainer Richard Fahey has tried to get his mark down a bit by running him over 1 mile or onunsuitable soft ground. This has seen his mark drop from 88 to his lowest ever mark of 79.
He now returns to his favourite 7F and runs at Newcastle where he has been uber consistently 8 times postmarking between 90 and 96 on 7 occasions and his lowest postmark of 84.
Well now he runs off 79 any of those 7 runs would see him win this and even his lowest postmark would see him hit the places.
We therefore have to get involved today when he is priced up at 16/1 with Bet365. I recommend 1 point each way.
He is still value at 10/1.
Ventura Gold – 3.25 Nottingham – 1m Handicap – 20/1 Bet365 – 1 point each way.
Ventura Gold is a winner of 5 races over 1m and 1m 1F off marks between 66 to 73.
He is a game horse and battles out his victories which have all been by less than 1 length.
He moved stable this year to the capable John Mackie, and he has just has the two outings. Mackie is bring him on slowly as he only postmarked 43 on his seasonal debut, but then progressed to run to 55 last time out.
I’m expecting another step forward today as he is having his 3rd start in 5 weeks.
He will enjoy the 1 mile trip and has won on good to firm ground so that all looks fine.
Ventura Gold has been dropped a handy 6lb for his first two outings so gets in here off 57 today, his lowest ever mark and is 16lb lower than his last winning mark.
John Mackie has added the cheekpieces onto today, something he has worn before and that just might help him improve enough to get his head in front.
#St 20/1 he looks over priced and I recommend 1 point each way.
He still looks value at 12/1.
Convara – 6.45 Galway – 2 Mile Handicap Hurdle – 25/1 Boyles – 5 Places – 1 Point Each Way.
This 20 runner handicap hurdle is a typically competitive race at the Galway Festival.
You need a well handicapped horse and the 7 year old Convara certainly meets that profile. He has only raced 6 times over hurdles, including 4 maidens and he progressed with each of those to win a maiden on his 4th attempt.
As an inexperienced horse he ran in a 2 mile handicap hurdle at the 2019 Galway Festival where he went off a 7/2 shot in a 20 runner handicap and finished a close 4th.
He went chasing in 2020 and improved throughout the season, winning a 2 mile novice chase at Galway, postmarking a high of 130. That was on soft ground, and he is a better horse on a fast surface, so todays good ground will very much suit.
Convara looks well in here as he reverts to hurdles off a mark of 108 (12lb lower than his chase mark).
He has a great record fresh, so the fact he comes here without a run since December is not a concern.
With so much in his favour, including a very good 3lb claimer, the 25/1 with Boyles and 5 places, plus BOG, looks massive and I’m recommending 1 point each way.
He still looks value at 14/1.
Tudor City – 6.15 Galway – 2m Handicap Hurdle – 33/1 Bet365 – 5 places – 1 Point Each Way.
Tudor City’s trainer Tony Martin is one of the shrewdest trainers in Ireland and loves targeting the big handicap pots.
This Galway Hurdle is one of the biggest prize funds of the season and it’s not surprise that Tony Martin has won this twice, including with Tudor City in 2019 when he won off a mark of 139.
Tudor City was laid out again last year and ran well to finish 7th off a mark of 147.
He returns this year for another repeat bid and Tony Martin has dome well to get 8lb off his back, so he runs off the same mark of 139 that he won off in 2019.
Tudor City has run on the flat for the past three runs just to prep him for this and he is has every chance to be in the shakeup in this.
He looks far too big at 33/1 with Bet365, 5 places and so I recommend 1 point each way.
He still looks value at 18/1.
