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Preview galway 1st Aug

Saturday sees the penultimate day of action at the 2009 Galway Festival and the biggest prize of the afternoon goes to the winner of the Freshways Handicap Hurdle.

The Deutschland team of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh bid to make up for their Galway Hurdle disappointment with Sonnium, who reverts from chasing on a comparitively lenient rating.

But this is an event packed full of in-form opponents, not least the hat-trick seeking Trimbelina and Printing Copper, who deserves a change of fortune after three consecutive second placings.

Throw into the mix the likes of top-weight Green Mile and Media Queen who could turn out quickly following her run here on Friday night, and the scene is set for a hotly-contested affair.

The Jockeys Association Maiden Hurdle kicks off proceedings at 2.25 and consistent bumper horse Coole Avenue is sure to have his supporters on his jumping debut.

Breeze Out has rattled off a hurdling hat-trick in Britain and goes for win number four in the Low Low Galway Blazers Handicap Chase.

This is a baptism of fire for such an inexperience fencer, however, and Dream Champion and Paco Jack are just two who will fully test his mettle.

There is a decent pot up for grabs in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery, in which Black Quartz heads the weights.

Ballydoyle's representative was given 2000 Guineas quotes after his defeat of the well-touted Reiteration at the Curragh, and that one's trainer Jim Bolger squares up again, this time with Anglesey Stakes also-ran Eireannach.

Aidan O'Brien takes the wraps off Galileo newcomer Mikhail Glinka in the Dawn Juice EBF Maiden, but he'll have to be above average because the Dermot Weld-trained Waajida was less than six lengths behind Moran Gra on her Leopardstown introduction.

Weld's debutant Natural High is well-bred for the bumper sphere and starts his career off in the Kerrymaid Festival INH Flat Race, but Sparkling Tara and Budwiser will be tough nuts to crack.