5.30 Dickie McGuinness Novice Hurdle 2m 1f

With his confidence up from a first win over hurdles at Punchestown just under four weeks ago, Mick Collins gets the nod to follow up in a race where he has an advantage over his rivals on official ratings. Noel Meade’s dual-purpose four-year-old is 8lb well in with Chortal and 6lb well in with Autumn Twist, both winners who command respect. The ground should be right up the selection’s street.

Chortal, a wide-margin winner here two starts ago, couldn’t land a telling blow in the straight at Ballinrobe last time but this might be a slightly calmer looking assignment. Autumn Evening proved his wellbeing on the level at Ballinrobe 12 days ago. This is a stronger contest than the Killarney maiden hurdle he scooped in May.

SELECTION: MICK COLLINS

Next best: Chortal

6.00 Grimme Ireland Maiden Hurdle 2m 1f

The application of a hood for the first time is being banked on to bring out improvement in De Temps En Temps, who raced pretty freely in front at Limerick last time before finishing out fairly weakly in third. Sent off the 1/3 favourite on that occasion, the Fairyhouse bumper winner looks to have been found another winnable opportunity and he represents Gavin Cromwell - no stranger to winners at this venue.

You could have made a decent case for Cosmos d’Ainay on the back of his Sligo bumper win two starts ago, but he finished down the field on Thursday and is hard to be confident about now. Avondale, a progressive handicapper on flat when last seen winning off a mark of 70 at Galway in September 2024, lacks a recent run but can win one of these over the course of the summer. Market confidence behind him would be encouraging.

SELECTION: DE TEMPS EN TEMPS

Next best: Avondale

6.30 QuinnBet Bellewstown Handicap Hurdle 2m 1f

A €60,000 contest with a benchmark rating of 140, yet the two highest-rated runners in the line up are 130 and 123, so we haven’t quite got that quality in the line-up. Still, it’s a race in which cases can be made for several. Gavin Cromwell, who runs three, might hold the key as his Ballysax Hank could easily prove better than his mark of 121 - even after a 5lb rise for his last-time-out Punchestown Festival second. He gave the impression he mightn’t be the easiest to win with on that occasion, but that was Conor Stone-Walsh’s first time riding him and he’ll have a handle on what he’s about now. A slight drop in trip from Punchestown could be positive too.

Stablemate Stuntman Steve, who had fired warning shots at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival and Killarney May meeting, wasn’t winning out of turn at Listowel last time and the 5lb rise he picked up for that is offset by the booking of 7lb-claimer Alix Balfe. Toll Stone could be warming up for Galway as this is his first run since finishing seventh in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham last November, but he does look on a tempting mark of 116 and is worth a market check. Zoffman is unexposed as a hurdler and has been running with plenty of credit on the flat lately, so is worthy of consideration.

SELECTION: BALLYSAX HANK

Next best: Stuntman Steve

7.00 SIS Supporting Irish Racing Mares Maiden Hurdle 2m 4f 110yds

Leopardstown debut bumper winner Moon Eclipse was thrown into deep waters on her second start when fifth behind top bumper mares Switch From Diesel and Carrigmoornaspruce in a listed event at Fairyhouse, and she didn’t run badly last time either against the boys. Now stepping down in class and taking on her own sex, Joseph O’Brien’s five-year-old can add to her tally on her hurdling bow. She hails from a decent family.

Hillhead Runner caught the eye to an extent on her last start at Listowel when fourth - her first start since October. With natural improvement, she’ll be bang there, although the need to fit a tongue-tie here isn’t exactly a plus. Fillusin bumped into one at Punchestown last time and ought to be on the premises again, but she does look a little vulnerable to an improver.

SELECTION: MOON ECLIPSE

Next best: Hillhead Runner

7.30 Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f 110yds

Klassman has been frustrating to follow, with two seconds and two thirds a part of his 0-15 record. However, he went closer to collecting than ever before last time when only touched off by a head at Limerick and this trip ought to be a good fit for him. It was a very low-grade race he featured in last time and this looks pretty open too.

Cois Fharraige showed improvement from his first run of the campaign to his second, both coming at Sligo, and another step forward here will put him in the thick of things for Gavin Cromwell. Garnacho has the chance of being on a nice mark of 99 ahead of his stable debut for Mark Fahey. Having been off for 246 days though, he’s worth watching in the market beforehand.

SELECTION: KLASSMAN

Next best: Cois Fharraige

8.00 Johnny’s Race Day

Handicap Hurdle 3m 116yds

You could take the view that Boston Jury’s stamina is a little bit suspect for this trip on the back of his last start over a couple of furlongs shorter at Ballinrobe, but that was his first start for 249 days and that may have been as much a factor as anything distance-related. He ran a decent race before weakening and the runner-up won next time out, giving some substance to the form. He’s unexposed and hails from a top yard.

Seeking a fifth straight win on the bounce after scoring over fences at Kilbeggan last month, Aspurofthemoment could well continue his excellent spell of form - especially since he’s returning to the same course and distance of his most recent hurdling victory. Racing off a stone higher than when winning with a 7lb-claimer means he’ll need to keep progressing, but he is on the up and will be at home in these conditions. He looks a pretty solid contender in a race of this nature.

Our Soldier is a proven stayer who comes here in fine form after winning at Wexford last time, though needs to defy an 8lb hike.

SELECTION: BOSTON JURY

Next best: Aspurofthemoment

8.30 J.H. McLoughlin Oil INH Flat Race 2m 1f

A decisive winner at Clonmel on his second start, Stede Bonnet gets a tentative vote to take the bumper. He was run down late on by today’s rival Minella Emperor at Kilbeggan in May, but the winner had considerably more experience to call on then and the selection was only making his debut - also ending up in front to be shot at to a degree. Gordon Elliott’s representative set the record straight when winning at Clonmel since and the booking of Jordan Williamson to claim 7lb off his back will help tilt the weights in Stede Bonnet’s favour from that previous clash with Minella Emperor.

Garahon, a stablemate of Minella Emperor, is a fascinating contender given he was sent off the 3/1 favourite to win the 2024 Goffs Defender Bumper at the Punchestown Festival (beaten 29 lengths in 11th of 25 runners). He’s worth watching, potentially with on eye on Galway. If Jackson Lamb hadn’t disappointed when last seen over hurdles 330 days ago, he’d be a player, having finished second to The Passing Wife in this race 12 months ago.

SELECTION: STEDE BONNET

Next best: Minella Emperor