Galway Saturday: Truffles Doesn’t Take Much Sniffing Out 

Sheila Lavery is becoming a trainer to follow at Galways, and Truffles can score her second win of the week under a penalty. 

3:05 Betway Irish European Breeders Fund Nursery Handicap 

It may just have been a claimer he won at Leopardstown last time, but it was a pretty warm event of its type, and An Aingeal Dubh is taken to follow up. Paddy Twomey’s son of Dark Angel made all to beat some fairly useful types, and he’s value for more than the bare margin as well, winning the race by setting a strong pace and kicking again into the straight, understandably tiring in the closing stages, and all out to hold on. He essentially did a little too much in front, and his speed figure was a good one for the grade with that considered. He’s fairly handicapped, and while he may look a bit more exposed than some of his rivals, a positive ride around should get the best out of him, and stall one is the ideal spot from which to attack. 

Tip:

Back An Aingeal Dubh @    

3:35 Ardilaun Hotel Handicap  

Fair play to @sheilalavery with @Galway_Races double after Truffles won under Robbie "Chatty" Colgan.
(c)https://t.co/voWGTccgic pic.twitter.com/fKh4Caa6Mg

— Pat Healy (@patcashhealy) August 1, 2018

Sheila Lavery is very much a trainer to keep on side at Galway, and Truffles was a winner for the yard here during the week. She is turned out under a penalty, but that won’t stop her given the manner of her success, and she remains very fairly treated on old form. Just to keep the odds in her favour, Lavery has booked the excellent Ger Ryan to ride, and that helps offset the extra weight. This is a competitive field in terms of numbers, but there are no hidden stars in the field, and Truffles should make it two wins at the festival. 

Tip:

Back Truffles @  (NAP)

4:45 Galway Shopping Centre Handicap Hurdle 

A winner on her sole start on the flat in France for Laurent Postic, Shanning has maintained her unbeaten in run in two starts over hurdles for Willie Mullins, and can keep that sequence alive by winning the day’s feature jumps race under Ruby Walsh. The very fact that Walsh rides the mare given how well Willie is represented is enough to convince many punters, but her form stands close scrutiny as well, easily beating Mischievous Max here in October, and the runner-up went on to finish second again behind Coole Cody at Cheltenham’s ultra-competitive November meeting. She hasn’t been seen since the autumn, but that is rarely a concern for runners from the yard, and she is thoroughly unexposed after just two runs in her new discipline. She could be very good indeed. 

Tip:

Back Shanning @