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Preview galway 3rd Aug

Thu 2nd Aug 2012, 12:20

Clarach bids for compensation for missing the Galway Hurdle cut in the Guinness Handicap on day five of the Festival.

Tony Mullins pre-empted her failing to get a run and sent her for the valuable two-mile handicap here on Monday, where she did herself justice by finishing third.

Dropping back to a mile and a half should suit but, as the prize money warrants, this event has attracted a decent field, with Inis Meain and Chicago on hat-trick missions, and Dermot Weld keeping Olympiad fresh since a Gowran Park win in April.

Weld fits Stuccodor with blinkers for his first foray outside of maiden company in the Arthur Guinness Handicap, and also applies headgear to Notable Graduate, who goes to post for the Guinness Race.

But, on official ratings, he has ground to make up on Distant Memories, a smart performer in Britain for Tom Tate, who took to jumping reasonably well last winter.

Kevin Prendergast's Nurpur was a costly failure at Naas but, on her previous Leopardstown second, sets the standard in the Guinness 17:59 EBF Median Auction Maiden, while the Aidan O'Brien-trained Buckingham Gate keeps hitting the crossbar but is still the one Weld's returning Pale Mimosa has to beat in the Guinness EBF Maiden.

Carlito Brigante was pulled out of the Galway Plate and tops the weights for the Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap, which looks almost as competitive.

Like Gordon Elliott's classy stayer, Raz De Maree is well-treated compared to his timber rating and made it second-time lucky over fences at Wexford most recently, so should be on the premises as well.

The Guinness (QR) Handicap Hurdle kicks off proceedings at 5.10 and sees Charleville and Special Bar attempting to make amends for expensive Bellewstown defeats, whereas Mic Milano continued on his upward curve when scoring at Ballinrobe and could be capable of defying top weight.