VEGAS WORTH THE GAMBLE

Lagos may bounce back from defeat

THE sixth day of the Galway Summer Festival sees the €100,000 Galway Shopping Centre Handicap Hurdle take centre stage and the Festival’s leading trainer, Willie Mullins, below, fields a very strong challenge with four runners.

Having finished third in the big amateur flat handicap on Monday, Lagostovegas is sure to be strongly fancied to gain compensation but the pick of the quartet could well be The Crafty Butcher.

He failed to win last season but good placed efforts when second in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and third in the Proudstown Handicap Hurdle at Navan suggest he remains nicely handicapped off a 7lb lower mark than his steeplechase rating and he will r elish this test of stamina.

After Rain has gone close in similar type races over shorter distances and will be a major player if lasting the trip while top weight Hidden Cyclone can never be discounted from these type of races and could go well be worth noting at a bigger price.

However, it may pay to take a chance on Jarob, the mount of Galway Plate winning jockey Davy Russell from the Andy Lynch stable.

He finished fifth in this event last season off a 2lb higher rating and was returning from a long break when a creditable fourth to Timiyan over a much shorter trip at Bellewstown early last month.

That run is likely to have blown away any cobwebs and the return to this longer distance will certainly be in his favour.

Jarob also likes good ground, very possible given the weather forecast, and he could be a value bet in this fiercely competitive event.

In other races, Fethard-based trainer

Joseph Murphy has enjoyed a fine week despite the obvious disappointment of seeing his charge,

Swamp Fox, caught close home in Thursday’s thrilling Galway Hurdle and he could well be on the mark with Deep Breath in the Galway Shopping Centre Irish EBF Nursery.

Deep Breath never really recovered from a tardy start when a fair third at the Curragh last time and should appreciate the extra furlong of this contest.

Trainer Aidan O’brien enjoyed more Group 1 glory at Goodwood on Thursday with Winter taking the Nassau Stakes and his Amedeo Modigliani is unopposable in the Galway Shopping Centre Irish EBF Maiden after showing plenty of promise on his only run to date when third behind stable companion Gustav Klimt at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

Incidentally, this race was won by subsequent Irish Derby hero Capri last year and it would not be a surprise to see O’brien’s colt developing into a Classic contender in time.