Galway Festival day four: Betting tips, odds, and race rundown

The Irish Sun

30-07-2025

THE STANDARD has been set after the drama of yesterday's Galway Plate. If we get a finish as good as we got in Wednesday's showpiece, we are in for a race for the ages in the Galway Hurdle.
Away from the Galway Hurdle, we kick off day four of the Galway Festival with a fascinating Grade 3 novice chase, which will have the hardest of national hunt fans counting down the days to the start of the jumps season.
🏇 Quick Galway Festival day four tips
Win singles and each way bets
with odds from the
2:10 Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase:
Pied Piper
2:45 Rockshore Refreshingly Irish Handicap:
Earls
3:20 Listed Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes:
Fiery Lucy
3:55 Guinness Irish EBF Nursery Handicap:
Invincible Will
4:30 Grade 3 Guinness Galway Hurdle:
Ndaawi 8/1 with bet365 (e/w)
5:05 Guinness Novice Hurdle:
Cameletta Vega
5:40 Guinness 0.0 Handicap:
Glenroyal
6:10 Guinness Time INH Flat Race:
Wartime Leader
2:10 Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase (4yo+) - 2m2f
A cracking opening to Galway Hurdle Day, and Gale Mahler is a good starting point. She was an impressive winner of a listed hurdle at this meeting last season, and has shown her versatility when getting off the mark over fences on her second attempt. She was unlucky not to follow that up next time in a limited handicap when making a shuttering mistake at the third last when shaping like the winner.
Somehow, she managed to gather herself and keep going to take second place, beaten just over one length. She may lack the class of one or two of theirs, but given her impressive win here last season, she has to be respected. Special Cadeau got the better of Westport Cove in a beginners chase at Thurles last season, and the Henry de Bromhead runner comes here on the back of a solid run behind Nurburgring at Killarney, whereas Westport Cove comes on the back of a win at the sixth time of asking. Runcok will ensure this is run at a fast pace, but given his keenness, the hill may find him out in the closing stages.
That leads me onto the class angle of the race, and the former two-time Grade 2 winning hurdler
PIED PIPPER
. Having spent a period in the duldroums over hurdles, a switch to chasing has brought this talented gelding back to life. He comes here unbeaten in three starts over fences, winning by a combined 70 lengths. This will be his biggest test to date over fences, but given his back class, he may have enough in reserve to give weight away to all his rivals here over a trip he is comfortable with.
2024 Winner:
Ashdale Bob
J
: Jack Kennedy
T
: Jessica Harrington
Odds
: 13/8Fav
Our Pick:
PIED PIPPER
Trainer:
Gordon Elliott
Jockey:
Jack Kennedy
Form:
F51-11
Age:
7
Weight:
11st 8lb
➡️
2:45 Rockshore Refreshing Irish Handicap (4yo+) - 1m½f
This is a tricky contest for all punters to try to solve. The hat trick seeking Bravo Zulu is still well in on his all-weather mark, and comes here in the form of his life. His two turf wins came on good to firm ground, and any ease in the ground would be worrying for the UK challenger.
Genuine Article has been a beaten favourite on his last two starts, but there is a suspicion that one mile may be the ideal trip for him now, given the way he is finishing over seven furlongs. He has a clear chance, as does top-weight Pink Oxalis, but the draw could have been kinder. However, a chance is taken with
EARLS
.
This eight-year-old gelding has been a prolific winner over the years, and he hinted that a return to form is just around the corner when a staying on fifth at Gowran. He has run well on this track before, and now back on a mark that he is more than capable of winning off, he is a strong each-way player in a wide-open field.
2024 Winner:
Grey Leader
J
: Gary Carroll
T
: Joseph Murphy
Odds
: 10/1
Our pick: EARLS
Trainer:
Gavin Cromwell
Jockey:
Robert Whearty (3lb)
Form:
50-065
Age:
8
Weight:
9st 6lb
➡️
3:20 Listed Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes (3yo+) - 7f
The UK raider Glamis Road will be popular with Jack Kearney taking the ride. He will appreciate every drop of rain that would come, and drawn in 2, he is positioned to attack from the get-go. However, the consistent
FIERY LUCY
looks to have been found a good opportunity to get off the mark this season.
She comes here on the back of a narrow defeat to the then odds-on Red Letter at Killarney at this level, where both pulled clear of the third-place finisher. She isn't one that finds a great deal off the bridle, but she is drawn to get dropped in, and with plenty of pace on, she should be getting a nice toe into the race to set it up for her to pounce late.
Fingerpaint got off the mark at the first time of asking at the Curragh when beating Collecting Coin. Given that she has not been seen since, it suggests that this race was the plan for a legendary Galway Festival trainer, and she is feared.
2024 Winner:
Raknah
J:
Gary Carroll
T:
Jessica Harrington
Odds:
16/1
Our pick: FIERY LUCY
Trainer:
Gavin Cromwell
Jockey:
Robert Whearty
Form:
4-2342
Age:
3
Weight:
9st 3lb
➡️
3:55 Guinness Irish EBF Nursery Handicap (2yo) - 7f
Gavoo (3rd) was just behind Which Wolf Wins (2nd) when they met at the Curragh, and even though Which Wolf Win got first run when Gavoo seemed to somehow get boxed inside the final two furlong, he didn't really gain much ground when he got out, but the step up in distant looks sure to suit.
The top weight appears to pose a significant danger to everyone, but a chance is taken that
INVINCIBLE WILL
. He makes his nursery debut off what looks like a fair mark when you consider how well he ran in a stacked maiden on debut. He was sixth beaten nine lengths on the day behind Gstaad, True Love and Havana Anna.
The top two have gone on to win at Group 2 level at Royal Ascot, and the third, Havana Anna, bolted up at listed level. The selection was a no-show over one mile at Bellewstown on his next start, but he has since sent out a warning shot at Down Royal when taking a third-place finish. With the expected improvement on nursery debut, he could prove the one to beat.
2024 Winner:
No corresponding race
Our pick: INVINCIBLE WILL
Trainer:
Gavin Cromwell
Jockey:
Robert Whearty (3lb)
Form:
603
Age:
2
Weight:
9st 5lb
➡️
4:30 Grade 3 Guinness Galway Hurdle (4yo+) -2m
Put your hands together, supporters will be hoping to do just that as the Cheltenham Festival winner goes in search of becoming the third four-year-old in three years to win the Galway Hurdle. He had a prep for this with an eleven-length sixth to Jesse Evans in the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle, and that will leave him spot on for this, but he does need to find a bit here to take home the prize.
Enniskerry is given respect on the back of a good comeback run and looks sure to come on fitness-wise for that outing. The UK raider Dysart Enos has been bitterly disappointing when taking in open company on the back of an unbeaten season over hurdles as a novice. Should she suddenly bounce back for Fergal O'Brien, the she has a squeak.
The Willie Mullins-trained Tounsivator gets the assistance of Harry Cobden, and it would not be a surprise to see him outrun his odds. Gordon Elliott runs four here, and his best chance looks to be in the hands of
NDAAWI
, who was second in this last season off an eleven-pound lower mark, but the son of Cracksman has improved since. He was last seen splitting three-time Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle winner Kargese and Absurde. That form alone gives him a massive chance off a five-pound higher mark, and it's hard to see him not going close to going one place better than last season.
2024 Winner:
Nurburgring
J:
J J Slevin
T:
Joseph O'Brien
– Odds:
13/2
Our pick: NDAAWI
Trainer:
Gordon Elliott
Jockey:
Jack Kennedy
Form:
36/22-
Age:
5
Weight:
11st 7lb
➡️
5:05 Guinness Novice Hurdle (4yo+) - 2m4½f
Cinammon Roll has been in flying from racking up a hat trick of wins this summer (one bumper and two hurdles). She is progressive and is entitled to a huge amount of respect. However, she and many of her rivals may find it hard to give
CAMELETTA VEGA
weight here.
The daughter of Quevega made an impressive start to her hurdling career when comfortably beating the now four-time winner, and listed third place Emily Love. She defied a market drift on the day to win, suggesting that she was only ready for the run, and she is sure to come on for that experience. Barring accidents, she will prove hard to beat.
2024 Winner:
Donnie Devito
J:
T P Harney
T:
Ross O'Sullivan
Odds:
11/1
Our pick: CAMELETTA VEGA
Trainer:
Willie Mullins
Jockey:
Paul Townend
Form:
1748-1
Age:
6
Weight:
10st 11lb
➡️
5:40 Guinness 0.0 Handicap (3yo+) - 1m4f
Another tight handicap to solve and a fancied winner of this race has been few and far between, with one favourite in the last ten years winning. The SPs of the previous four winners alone have been 25/1, 40/1, 11/1, and 25/1, so tread carefully here. Astelia has been running well over hurdles for Peter Fahey this season, and should the daughter of See The Stars transfer his improved form over hurdles back to the flat, she can play a role on her handicap debut.
The one who could be well above his flat mark is listed novice hurdle winner
ZARIYGANN
. He was an easy winner of a listed novice hurdle last season for Micj=k Halford, and was then sent off the 5/4 favourite for the Fishery Lane Novice Hurdle, where he ran no sort of race and was a tailed off last of four. Since then, he has switched yards to Martin Brassil and was running a fine race on his seasonal return at 80/1 in the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle, only to fall at the seventh.
Provided that hasn't left a negative mark on him, he looks well capable of going close off a mark of 68 over a trip that is sure to suit. Others to note in a wide-open contest are Narlita and Enziya.
2024 Winner:
Hidden Land
J:
Luke McAteer
T:
Andrew Kinirons
Odds:
25/1
Our pick:
ZARIYGANN
Trainer:
Martin Brassil
Jockey:
Keithen Kennedy (5lb)
Form:
8/307-
Age:
5
Weight:
9st 12lb
➡️
6:10 Guinness Time INH Flat Race (5yo+) - 2m2f
Not many count here, with only a handful of realistic winners lining up. Garahon, who was once sent off as favourite for the Land Rover Bumper, looks the clear pick of the two Emmet Mullins runners. He made a welcome return to the track behind the two-time bumper winner Stede Bonnet, and with improvement to come, he has every right to go close.
Frankie John ran well in decent bumpers, and he could go missed in the betting but run a huge race. However, this could be best left to
WARTIME LEADER
. The former Pat Doyle-trained son of Churchill was last seen finishing second to Shuttle Diplomacy, who has gone on to win a listed bumper and finish third in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.
Colcannon, who was behind the selection at Naas, has gone on to win a Grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival and chased home Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever at the Punchestown Festival. His form is there for all to see, and if he can run to anywhere like he did on debut on his first start for Willie Mullins, it's hard to see Wartime Leader being beaten.
2024 Winner:
Brave Crogha
J:
Miss A B O'Connor
T:
Ian Madden
Odds:
200/1
Our pick:
WARTIME LEADER
Trainer:
Willie Mullins
Jockey:
Patrick Mullins
Form:
2/
Age:
5
Weight:
12st 0lb
➡️
🕔 Galway Festival day four schedule
TIME
RACE
DISTANCE
2:10
Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase
2m2f
2:45
Rockshore Refreshingly Irish Handicap
1m½f
3:20
Listed Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes
2m½f
3:55
Guinness Irish EBF Nursery Handicap
7f
4:30
Grade 3 Guinness Galway Hurdle
2m
5:05
Guinness Novice Hurdle
2m4½f
5:40
Guinness 0.0 Handicap
1m4f
6:10
Guinness Time INH Flat Race
2m2f
📺 How to watch day four of the Galway Festival
Location:
Ballybrit, Galway, Ireland
Date/Time:
Thursday, 31st July, 2025. First Race 2:10
TV/Streaming:
RTE & Racing TV
About the author
Craig Mahood
Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun.
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