Racing Tips – Top Tipster Eamonn Hames’ best horse racing selections for day four of the Galway Festival on Thursday, August 3

GALWAY

1.40

JUST say yes in the opener.

JUST CAUSE came right back to his best form when a close-up second at Limerick last time out.

That was over just shy of 2m4f but he was doing all his best work at the finish and this step up in trip should be right up his street.

The drying ground is in his favour too, although it wouldn’t be a problem if there was still some ease in it.

Ballela Boy didn’t quite get home over an extended 3m1f at Wexford last time so it was a good effort to finish second.

It looks a wise move to drop him back in distance and he’s open to improvement as a chaser.

Tesseract was a decent hurdler who has caught the eye since switching to the bigger obstacles — despite falling on his debut.

He bounced back from that to finish second at Kilbeggan latest and there should be more to come.

Dont Tell No One hasn’t been seen since finishing third in this race 12 months ago in a blanket finish. The 371 days is a worry but he loves it here and is worth a look in the betting.

2.15

TOWNSHEND can call the tune in this red-hot contest.

Willie Mullins’ six-year-old was classy over hurdles and looks to have taken plenty of that ability into the jumping game.

He put in just about his best effort to date when winning at Roscommon last time with plenty left in the tank.

The thing that really caught the eye there was the quality of his jumping and this will be a real test of that.

Although he’s been jumping fences for a while, he’s still only six and there should be a lot more improvement to come.

Don’t Touch It was a Grade 1 performer in his hurdling days and he’s another working out to be a quality chaser too.

He was last seen when winning at the Punchestown Festival in April in battling style. The winning margin was half a length but he was idling after jumping the last fence.

That was over 2m but this slightly longer distance won’t be a problem for Barry Geraghty’s mount.

Peregrine Run has hardly put a foot wrong over fences with a solid debut second at Roscommon followed by excellent back-to-back wins at Wexford.

The most recent of those was particularly impressive and he’s another with lots more to offer.

Rathvinden’s no mug, while Landofhopeandglory was Grade 1 class over timber and has shown promise on his two chasing runs.

3

2.50

KNOCKMAOLE BOY has already won once at the meeting and it was such a convincing win that a 6lb penalty won’t be a problem.

Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old had enough pace to score here over 7f two days ago and his stamina means this longer trip won’t be a problem.

We know he likes the track and still looks ahead of the handicapper.

If he doesn’t run, Spruce Meadows gets the verdict. He comes from a handy draw in stall four and has tasted success at Galway before.

He’s off the same mark as his excellent fifth at The Curragh last time out where he was bang in the shake-up. He takes a drop in distance here, which should help slightly too.

Fountain threw in a puzzingly bad run at The Curragh last time when he just never got going at all.

Maybe it was the firm ground that did it because he looked a nice prospect when winning in easier conditions at Fairyhouse and coming home second at Leopardstown over this trip.

Jim Bolger has the cheekpieces on today for the first time and that just might help matters a little.

Be Kool doesn’t have the best of forms but he heads over from Brian Ellison’s English base on the back of a game win at York.

He was earlier fourth in a decent York handicap so should be competitive.

3

3.25

RAYMONDA can bring a little Galway cheer to Dermot Weld.

She has been performing with real credit in better races than this, including at Fairyhouse last time out.

There she finished within two lengths of the lead in a Group 3 when dropped back to this 7f trip.

It’s interesting to see the visor worn for the first time and that might just conjure a bit more improvement. She won’t mind the ground and looks open to more improvement.

Alphabet has been a bit unlucky with the draw but she’s still very interesting taking a sharp step up in distance.

She was outpaced on the fast ground at The Curragh last time but 5f looks a bit short for her anyway.

She was beaten in a tight finish for the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes at the same track in June over 6f and this extra furlong could be the making of her.

Elusive Beauty has already scored at this level, winning at Carlisle two runs ago. She then finished last of seven at Fairyhouse last time when she didn’t get the run of the race.

It’s much too early to write her off.

Drumfad Bay is another in with a big say after winning a Killarney Listed race with a bit left in the tank last time. She drops back in distance here but that shouldn’t be an issue.

4.00

LAC KIVU looks the pick of a smart little bunch for Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins.

He was a good Flat performer in his native France but could be out of the top drawer as a hurdler.

He has had just one spin over timber so far and it was a highly impressive one and he ran away with a 24-runner contest to score by an easy 13 lengths.

That came after almost a year off the track so just fitness-wise you would expect him to improve on that effort. This is a fair step up in class from that run but he already warrants it.

Stablemate Robin Des Foret looks the biggest threat as he also looks destined for the top over timber.

He’s had four starts and won three of them, with his seven-length win at Roscommon last time the pick of the bunch. He quickened well there and this trip looks right up his street.

Gordon Elliott runs a solid pair in Dorans River and Its All Guesswork.

The former was behind Robin Des Foret last time, while the latter won as he liked on hurdles debut at Bellewstown latest. He needs to improve but looks capable of doing so.

3

4.35

DIVE into the SWAMP for the Galway Hurdle.

5.15

BOG WAR looks worth the weight.

He’s only 1lb higher than when winning this race in 2015 and he’s only raced twice on the level since that day.

We have to put our faith in trainer Liam Cusack bringing him back to the track in something like his old form after nine months off.

But if he does, there are ticks in all the right boxes. We know he handles the trip and course, his weight is fine — and he has an excellent draw to boot.

So if the fitness is there he can roll back the years.

Lucca has a dodgy draw to overcome but he looks capable of running a big race on his hat-trick bid. He has had plenty in hand winning at Tipperary and Killarney and this 1m4f trip is right up his street.

He’s gone up 6lb for his most recent success but that still only puts him on a mark of 65 and there could be more to come.

Shamar is nine now but looked to have retained plenty of his old spark when beaten in a photo finish at Down Royal last time out.

That was over 1m2f but this distance suits him better and he’s got that all-important Galway course win to his name.

6.00

ALL GOOD THINGS made a nice start to his career when third in a Punchestown bumper last time and is capable of improving enough to take this.

He wasn’t asked too many questions in the early stages but picked up well once the penny dropped and he was clearly closing on the run to the line.

He should come on for that and has an excellent pilot in Katie Walsh.

Emmet Mullins has every chance with Peacocks Secret who has improved on each of his three starts.

He went down in a close finish at Wexford last time in testing ground but had earlier gone close in better conditions at Punchestown. He looks the main danger to the selection.

Dayna Moss is another who has been knocking on the door and came back from a break to finish a solid fourth here last time out.

That sighter of the track could be a major advantage and he seemed to handle it well. He needs to find more but is capable of doing so.