Galway Summer Festival Day 4 Tips: 9/1 Hurdle hope heads Thursday’s three

Today’s Horse Races at Galway begin at the earlier time of 14:10 and conclude shortly after the last of eight contests at 18:10.

The feature is the lucrative Galway Hurdle and I fancy a 9/1 shot for it as part of my Galway Summer Festival Day 4 tips.

14:10 – Franciscan Rock @ 9/2

The opener at Ballybrit is a beginners’ chase over 2m6½f that can go to FRANSICAN ROCK for Mouse Morris.

Although the son of Fame And Glory is winless since February last year, he’s kept good company in the main. He finished 6/11, beaten 15 lengths by star stayer Teahupoo, at the Punchestown Festival in May, a couple of months after a highly-respectable 5/21 in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.

He had a run at Cork in early July which was a little underwhelming, but I can’t imagine he was fully tuned up for that.

He’s got experience over the bigger obstacles already, including when falling three out while well in contention against some classy types at Gowran Park last September, and this doesn’t look a daunting assignment with plenty of question marks about all his 10 rivals.

Modest stakes are advised, for this is a competitive affair involving extremely inconsistent types, but he’s the most likely winner for me.

14:45 – Ashdale Bob @ 3/1

Just over half an hour later is a fascinating Grade 3 novice chase over 2m2f.

Willie Mullins’ Saylavee tops the market at time of publication, but for me it should be ASHDALE BOB.

Jessie Harrington’s Shantou gelding has developed into something of a mainstay in the staying hurdling division over the years, but connections opted to send him chasing this summer at the age of nine.

He’s had one run over fences to date, beating Thecompanysergeant who franked the form here at Galway on Tuesday, and he posted a very good performance on his last run over flights, so everything points to a big run with the booking of Jack Kennedy a big positive.

17:05 – Nurburgring @ 9/1

The big race of the day is the Galway Hurdle – a Grade 3 handicap over the minimum trip of two miles. Twenty runners will line up hoping to land the €159,300 pot.

British raider Under Control is a favourite of mine and I have no doubt that Nicky Henderson’s mare is more than capable of doing the business off a mark of 137, but she’s too untrustworthy for me to take such a short price in a race of this nature.

Instead, I’m chancing NURBURGRING for Joseph Patrick O’Brien.

He was a useful juvenile last season, winning a Grade 3 at Christmas and concluding the campaign with a solid third in the G1 Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival this May.

He warmed up for this with a spin on the flat exactly a fortnight ago which ought to have put him spot on and with conditions in his favour and his trainer in good form, I see no reason why he can’t be competitive off 139.

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