1.50 Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle 2m 160yd

Fresh from a last-gasp victory on the flat here on Tuesday, Castleheath gets a tentative nod to notch his second success over hurdles. He’s only a four-year-old and must shoulder top-weight, which isn’t ideal, but he’s clearly in good heart, climbed the hill well earlier in the week and the in-form Paddy O’Brien looks a positive asset in a race of this nature.

Ragmans Corner ran a cracker to finish third in the Connacht Hotel Qualified Riders’ Handicap on Monday and is a higher class than the selection on the level. He needs plenty of respect. Half A Chance was a little eyecatcher here in the handicap hurdle won by Jerrari on Monday and could represent a bit of each-way value for Shark Hanlon.

SELECTION: CASTLEHEATH

Next best: Half A Chance

2.20 Kenny Galway Peugeot Handicap Hurdle 3m 60yd

A 16lb rise for winning by 12 lengths at Bellewstown four weeks ago means Garnacho has to step up in class, but he was clearly thrown in on that performance and his rider can claim 3lb more now than was the case when partnering him last time. He isn’t overly exposed and Mark Fahey is no stranger to winners at this meeting.

Chance Another One hacked up at Ballinrobe on his first run for Emmet Mullins 12 days ago when backed off the boards. A 20lb-higher mark mightn’t halt his progress and improvement ought to be on the cards given he was off the track for 430 days beforehand. Arctic Gale was third here on Wednesday and has the potential to be better at this new trip. There are plenty in with chances, though, and progression is required.

SELECTION: GARNACHO

Next best: Chance Another One

2.55 Kinlay Hostel Chase

2m 6f 11yd

He’s probably better over slightly shorter but this type of small-field event suits Blood Destiny well and he’s 5lb well-in on official ratings with his main rival, so he can provide Willie Mullins with a fifth win in the space of 10 years of this race.

Zanahiyr ran respectably when seventh in the Plate, beaten 19 lengths, on Wednesday, and should give the selection most to think about in a race where the rest need to step up.

SELECTION: BLOOD DESTINY

Next best: Zanahiyr

3.30 Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase 2m 2f

It’s possible that Sea Music lacked a little of the class required to win a Galway Plate and his best run came over a couple of furlongs shorter at the Punchestown Festival, so perhaps this calmer assignment - combined with the shorter trip - will see him fighting out the finish of the final chase of the week at Ballybrit. He certainly wasn’t disgraced during the week, beaten 18 lengths in fifth, and Emmet Mullins has been successful with horses turning out again quickly on this card before.

Arctic Fly won a listed novice hurdle at this meeting two years ago and will have got her confidence up with a handicap chase victory off close to top-weight at Tipperary last month. She’s 7lb higher now, but that run came off a 240-day layoff, so improvement is possible. Visionarian is well-handicapped on his old form and has won around here before, though he likely wouldn’t like to see a wet weekend in the west. The same owner’s Jasko Des Dames has won on good ground too, but could be dangerous on his best showings. Neveradullmoment looked to have a big chance in Friday night’s Galway Blazers (due off at 6.00pm) so how he fares there will surely play a big factor in whether he appears again in this.

SELECTION: SEA MUSIC

Next best: Arctic Fly

4.00 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap

(Premier Handicap) 7f

Dunum was untouchable from the front when winning the Galway Mile on Tuesday out of stall two, and he’s got another gorgeous draw in stall three here. He’ll make another bold bid under the 7lb penalty, though there is a little concern that he won’t be allowed to have the lead to himself this time around, with several of his rivals having been effective on the speed before.

That might open matters up for one to come off the pace, and Gleneagle Bay - if able to get the gaps from stall one - could be having a big say late in the piece. Irish-trained horses have been tending to struggle in Royal Ascot handicaps over the shorter distances in recent years, and he finished 10th of 27 runners in the Buckingham Palace Stakes last time. It goes to show how much you need to have in hand to land one of those races when noting that the winner, Never So Brave, followed up with a Group 2 Summer Mile success since, while the third, Holguin, won a listed event at Chester next time out. The Amo Racing-owned five-year-old handles an ease in the ground and is probably operating at his optimum trip. A long shortlist could easily be made for contenders in this, however - it’s ultra-competitive.

SELECTION: GLENEAGLE BAY

Next best: Dunum

4.30 Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden 7f

A maiden that worked out extremely well last year, when the first three home all had previous racecourse experience. With Shane Foley flying back from Saratoga on Saturday night to ride at Ballybrit, he could be rewarded with a winner in the shape of Slaudeen, representing a Jessica Harrington team that has been on the scoresheet multiple times this week. He has the benefit of two maiden runs at the Curragh to his name over six furlongs, has drawn the rail in stall one and he’s out of a Galileo mare, who stayed a mile, so stepping up to seven furlongs could work, even if he hasn’t screamed that in his first two starts.

Noel Meade deserves a change of luck after seconds in the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle this week, and his Joltin ought to be bang there - especially with a 10lb pull at the weights from Slaudeen. There could be a nice chunk of improvement to come from Honouramongthieves after being gelded since his debut at Roscommon when not going unsupported. He might make each-way appeal against the main hopes.

SELECTION: SLAUDEEN

Next best: Honouramongthieves

5.00 Village Salthill Handicap

1m 73yd

Colin Keane will have to work his magic from stall 17 on Far From Dandy but there is nobody in the weighing room better at overcoming tough starting positions than the champion jockey, and this three-year-old tends to be slowly away out of the gates anyway. He hasn’t helped his chances the last twice with poor starts, but did catch the eye plenty two starts ago at Killarney and possibly ended up on the worst of the ground when challenging in fifth here on Wednesday. This is a lower grade affair and he’s given one more chance.

The ground is expected to be a fair deal slower than when Electric Beauty won last time at Leopardstown, but she’s not exposed in handicaps and remains at the right end of the weights. Similar ground comments apply to the hat-trick-seeking Casheldale Lass, who has been thriving, while any rain will play to Dance For Chester’s strengths. He’s also declared for the 7.40pm on Friday night. Visiting runner This Farh commands respect for Dave Loughnane too after sticking to the task well for third at Chester last month.

SELECTION: FAR FROM DANDY

Next best: Electric Beauty

5.30 Fr. Breen Memorial

(Pro/Am) Bumper 2m

Jockey bookings are interesting to note here, with Patrick Mullins opting to ride Al Arrivee in his mother’s colours over stablemate Doctor Steinberg. The Grand National-winning jockey’s mount is a half-sister to the stable’s dual Cheltenham Gold Cup champion Al Boum Photo, already has course experience from a second around here last October and won with ease on her Sligo comeback in June.

That contest didn’t have any depth to it, though, and a chance is instead taken on Doctor Steinberg, the mount of Jody Townend. He finished a well-held third on debut behind Kopek Des Bordes in a valuable bumper at Fairyhouse before missing a year and finishing second to Sunny South West at Clonmel (that rival has since won twice and finished fifth to Bambino Fever in a Punchestown Grade 1 bumper). He hacked up at Ballinrobe last time, beating subsequent Kilbeggan bumper winner Jisco Du Brem (reopposes here) by 11 lengths, and should go close in this. Delta Force won at this meeting last year and ought to improve from his recent comeback third at Tipperary, while Murat is a bit of an unknown quantity and Minella Emperor has plenty of experience to call on.

SELECTION: DOCTOR STEINBERG

Next best: Al Arrivee