Galway Festival: Betfair ambassador Gordon Elliott talks you through his runners at Galway on Wednesday

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I’ve four decent contenders on Plate Duty in the e250,000 Galway feature. 

And I think my best chance of landing a second Galway Plate lies with Jury Duty.

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That’s not to say my other three are not fancied as I think all of them have chances of winning prize money and I am looking forward to an exciting race.

We are busier today than yesterday with 10 runners and here is a rundown of my hopes on day three of Galway:

5.10

In the opener we run The Big Lense and he is a horse that we have always liked. He is improving with experience and ran with promise at Limerick in April. Hopefully he will run a nice race but this looks an above average maiden.

5.40

We run one in the Thetote.com Handicap Hurdle and Mill Quest has an each-way chance. She has already paid for her keep this year having won two handicaps and on her last run at Limerick she finished fourth but I think there are more races to be won with her.

7.20

We run four in this year’s Galway Plate and I’d like to think that a couple of them could get closely involved.

Jury Duty is possibly our best chance following a good first season over fences when he won at Grade 2 level and was placed in Grade 1 company.

The form he showed when beating Shattered Love at Punchestown and then finishing second to her at Leopardstown over Christmas makes for good reading and I feel that he could win a big handicap for us at some stage this season. The trip will be suitable and the ground is fine for him and I’ve been pleased with his work over the last few weeks.

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De Plotting Shed has been a little disappointing over fences so far. He was quite a smart hurdler but he just hasn’t reached the same level over fences. He has been in excellent form at home and I think that he will be all the better for a three month break since he last ran.

Clarcam mightn’t be quite as good as he used to be but he is a few pounds lower than when he finished fifth in this race two years ago. He has run well fresh in the past and he did show up well for a long way in the Topham so I’m hoping he can outrun his odds.

Lord Scoundrel won this race back in 2016. He hasn’t won since but he is back to his lowest mark since he won here. He was running well in this race last year only to be hampered at the final fence so hopefully a return to Galway will bring out the best in him again.

8.00

There should be plenty more to come from Monkeylou who could go well in what is a competitive mile handicap.

I thought that he ran a bit better than his finishing position would suggest in a useful conditions race at Killarney a couple of weeks ago and soft ground will be fine for him.

He is drawn low which is a big help at Galway. I’m hopeful that there will be more to come from him after just four career starts.

8.30

We run three in the finale but all three are drawn in the car park.

Water Sprite won this race two years ago and finished second last year so she has had this race as her main aim but she has it all to do from a stall 19 draw.

Unfortunately Falak is drawn widest of all in 20. It’s a pity as he seems to be in good form.

Hollow Tree has lost his way but hopefully Jack Wildman’s claim will aid his cause.