Sweet company

7.40 Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap (70-100) (Monday)

Tony Martin is chasing his third win in five years in the Monday night feature and he could have a lively contender in the shape of this gelding whose chances are a good deal better than his recent efforts might suggest.

On his last two outings Sweet Company has finished down the field but there has been a notable upswing in his yard’s form over the last few weeks. Furthermore this six-year-old has run just six times on the flat so he is open to more progression than quite a few of his rivals.

Sweet Company was victorious at last year’s festival when he got up on the line to land the mile and a half amateur riders’ maiden. His effort there suggested that he would relish tackling a longer trip and he has run just twice on the flat since then.

Last time out he wasn’t a factor in a premier handicap at the Curragh on Derby weekend but much earlier in the season he caught the eye in a fair 10-furlong handicap at Cork when beaten less than a length into fourth by Roconga.

With his yard in good heart, it is worth taking a chance that he will take a marked step forward at a track that suits and over a trip that could bring about appreciable improvement on his part.

THREE WISE MEN

5.55 Latin Quarter Beginners Chase (Tuesday)

This 135-rated seven-year-old has shown more than enough to suggest that he can make his mark over fences and Tuesday evening’s contest looks to provide him with an excellent chance of registering his first triumph over the larger obstacles.

He comes here off a break of over two months but that isn’t of any concern and he is a better horse than he has shown lately. Last time out he would have taken a minor role in Punchestown novice chase won by Townshend and on his penultimate start he was unable to make an impression in a valuable handicap chase at the festival in April.

Previously though he did shape up well in a reasonable Limerick handicap chase and his beginner’s chase efforts includes placed runs behind Grade 1-winning novices Disko and Min. The majority of his rivals on Tuesday would struggle to replicate that level of form and a clear round should make this gelding very hard to beat.

GOLD SPINNER

7.40 Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap (Tuesday)

It is 13 years since a three-year-old last won this race which, for a period, was the preserve of the classic generation. However, that statistic could be set to change with Gold Spinner.

This Ger Lyons inmate has progressed nicely so far this season and several of his efforts would suggest that this colt is more than capable of landing a good prize. Admittedly Gold Spinner needs to bounce back from a recent outing at the Curragh where he finished at the rear in a mile and a quarter handicap.

His finishing position there isn’t an accurate reflection of his performance that day as the trip just seemed to catch him out. Indeed he is much better judged on his two previous runs. The first of those saw him defeat the subsequent Gallinule Stakes second Born To Play in a maiden at Cork in April and he then went on to win a conditions race at Navan in June where he accounted for the subsequent Group 2 heroine Elizabeth Browning.

A return to a mile on Tuesday will be ideal for this colt and an easing in the ground over the coming days will not trouble him either. Lastly, his trainer is amassing a fine record in this race with the last four runnings having yielded a winner, a second and a third for the yard.

BALKO DES FLOS

5.35 TheTote.com Galway Plate (Grade A) (Wednesday)

He is hardly an original choice given his position at the head of the market but there is a lot to like about the claims of Balko Des Flos in this year’s Galway Plate.

To date he has recorded just one victory from his six outings over fences but he has also posted some very creditable efforts in high-class company and there is definitely a major prize to be won with him over fences.

Interestingly Balko Des Flos last ran in the EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase where he was beaten 2l into third by Woodland Opera and he was entitled to finish closer than he did on that occasion. Significantly that Punchestown race has developed into the pre-eminent Plate Trial as the last three winners of the Plate all contested that race.

A little further back, Balko Des Flos boasts another eye-catching effort in his third in a Leopardstown Grade 1 in February where he was beaten just under eight lengths into third by the star novices Disko and Our Duke.

It is that calibre of form that puts him on a different footing to most of his rivals and this bold jumping, strong travelling seven-year-old looks to have the requisite qualities to prevail. He is also just 3lb higher in the weights than when running at Punchestown yet he still doesn’t look at all badly treated off a mark of 146.

PROJECT BLUEBOOK

4.35 Guinness Galway Handicap Hurdle (Grade A) (Thursday)

The Galway Hurdle hasn’t been a particularly good race for four-year-olds and one has to go back to Perugino Diamond in 2000 to find the last four-year-old to land one of the most valuable races in the jumping calendar.

However, this could be about to change with Project Bluebook who might just be on the cusp of becoming a rare British-trained winner of the race.

John Quinn’s charge warmed up for his trip to Ballybrit with a respectable second in a two-mile flat handicap at Catterick earlier this month but it is his hurdling fom which makes him a very appealing contender.

He progressed nicely over hurdles last season and ended his campaign with a Grade 2 triumph at Fairyhouse where he accounted for Dandy Mag and the Triumph Hurdle fourth Ex Patriot.

Dandy Mag has since boosted the form with a Grade 1-placing in France while it is encouraging to note that Project Bluebook also has decent handicap form to his name in the shape of his fourth in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham.

He looks the type to relish Galway’s stiff finish and it is worth taking a chance that he can progress further on just his seventh run over timber.