Borice gave Gordon Elliott his third win in the last four renewals of the Galway Plate yesterday and Willie Mullins has a strong chance of completing the same stat in today’s feature Guinness Galway Hurdle (4:55).

The champion jumps trainer can often have eight or nine horses in these big handicap hurdles but has adopted more of a quality-over-quantity approach today with four declarations - Riven Light, Shanning, Stratum and Sayo.

The first three mentioned have won at Galway before and have loads of potential of each of their current marks. Riven Light is rated 110 on the flat and is a dual winner of the ultra competitive Colm Quinn BMW Mile which rates as serious course form. He returns to hurdles for the first time since 2017 Punchestown Festival and off a mark of 139, he has the potential to win this easily, but I’m just worried about whether he’ll stay a strongly run race like this and whether his jumping will hold up after two years with no match practice.

Shanning rates a more solid option. She was hammered in the betting to win Saturday’s feature two-mile-seven-furlong handicap hurdle at this festival last season and she ran a big race in third, probably not seeing out the trip. She then went back to two miles at Listowel and split Ballyoisin and Voix Du Reve, which is classy form given that pair’s subsequent exploits.

She has been lightly-raced since, warming up for this with a comfortable win over useful stablemate Pravalaguna at Killarney, and it would be no surprise at all if this has been the plan for a long time.

She is available at 7/1 at the time of writing but I wouldn’t be surprised if she went off favourite, replacing current market leader Band Of Outlaws. Joseph O'Brien's four-year-old warmed up for this with a good Grade 3 second at Tipperary but I’d always be worried about four-year-olds taking on their elders in race like this - it’s a big step up. Chosen Mate has a nice profile for Gordon Elliott and should go well, while the likes of Tudor City and Hearts Are Trumps are two worth considering at bigger prices, having shown solid form in big handicap hurdles and also proven ability around this course.

One Cool Poet bids to become the first dual winner at this year’s festival in the Open Gate Pure Brew Handicap (5:30). He is marginally favourite to do so under a 6lb penalty and over a longer trip which should suit. However he has a nightmare draw in 18 and showed how tricky a ride he is on Tuesday. Much more solid is Lusis Naturea who has excelled since joining Antrim trainer Paul Traynor. The eight-year-old powered to a five-length win at Down Royal only last Friday and though carrying a 6lb penalty for that win, he is still 3lbs well in on his re-advised rating of 75, which is a very workable assessment when you consider he was rated as high as 92 earlier in his career.

The Rockshore Handicap (3:10) is wide open with bookmakers going 6/1 the field. It is also worth noting that Emphatic, second to One Cool Poet here on Tuesday, gets a run from third reserve.

My vote goes to Ciao. She is a consistent sort and has some nice form in the book - a second to Arthurian Fame earlier in the season and another second to Flowering Peach at Killarney last time. She sports a first-time visor, is drawn well and moving down to this stiff mile could really suit her.

Finally, Surrounding has been all the rage in the Listed Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes (3:45) for Ronan Whelan and Mick Halford. She was a good winner of the Barronstown Stakes at Fairyhouse last time out but in the same race, Aidan O’Brien’s Fire Fly caught the eye. Slow out of the gates and then held up off a generous pace, the Galileo filly tried to make her run in the straight but met traffic problems before staying on steadily in sixth. She is worth another go now and at odds of 14/1, she looks a little underestimated.

Selections:

3:10 Ciao

3:45 Fire Fly

4:55 Shanning

5:30 Lusis Naturea