Galileo’s the choice
He’s probably had a problem or two along the way, not having been seen for 133 days, but there’s every reason to trust that Dermot Weld will have him well primed for this test.
The selection was last seen at Wexford back in May, when producing easily his best effort to date.
That contest was won in good style by Aidan O’Brien’s hot-pot, Aristocrat, but Galileo’s Choice made a race of it for a large portion of the extended 11 furlongs, before going under by two lengths.
His long absence is obviously a cause for concern, but Weld’s gelding faces nothing of the caliber of Aristocrat now and gets the nod.
The South West Bins Novice Hurdle is best left to Tony Martin’s Pires, the mount of Ruby Walsh.
He made no impression in two outings on the level of late, but both were in testing conditions and are of little relevance.
Prior to that Pires beat subsequent winners, Hintsnallegations and Dual Gales, over flights at Killarney.
The John J Galvin Maiden hurdle looks a match between Kealigolane and Bangonform, who clashed at Cork last month.
A literal interpretation of the form would make Kealigolane a safe choice, considering he was second to Satu and had his opponent about ten and a half lengths behind in sixth.
Bangonform, however, was a returning from a break then and might be capable of reversing the placings, over an extra half a mile!
