Galway Races: Tips, betting preview for Day 5 of the Galway Festival live on Racing TV
4.45
TAKE a Risk in the opener. Trainer Joseph O’Brien sends the exciting Risk Factor here for his hurdles debut, but I prefer the potential of Willie Mullins’ N’GOLO. 
Never out of the three in four starts on the Flat in his native France, this beautifully bred son of Galileo looks sure to be winning races this season.
His full brother won on the Flat, over hurdles and over fences and he looks a fair bit classier. A 100,000 euros purchase for Rich Ricci, it would be disappointing if he didn’t go close.
The aforementioned Risk Factor is clearly the one to beat with form figures of 2212 in bumpers last season.
He was second in one here at last year’s Festival before going on to take second in a Grade 2 on his final start. The selection will have to be pretty smart to get the better of him if he takes to hurdles first time out.
5.15
SILVER can Star. Gordon Elliott’s SILVER STAR has yet to strike in handicap company, but he’s now 3lb lower than he was when sixth in a competitive contest at the Punchestown Festival last year.
Every run since has seen him face better horses off low weights and now he has the opposite — if he can reproduce his best form, he must go close in this lesser race.
Eagle Moon is an exciting newcomer to handicaps for the Henry de Bromhead yard. He won his maiden well at Bellewstown and the handicapper has not been unkind putting him on a mark of 111.
De Mazzaro ran well enough on Wednesday to hope for better now dropped back to two miles and Acclamatio can go well after yesterday’s effort.
5.45
SHU can Make your day. Paul Traynor has only been training for a few seasons, but he clearly has the knack for it with the way he has handled SHUMAKER.
He won four over hurdles last season, he’s two from two on the level this season and he still seems to have plenty left to give under both codes.
He did seem to struggle off this mark when last seen over timber, but that was at the end of a long season and he must be viewed differently given his current well-being.
This track should suit given the way that he travels in his races and he has a lovely racing weight with Decor Irlandais keeping the rest of the field below the 11 stone mark.
Star Maker ran well when fourth in this last year and Bentham is the last time out winner feared most.
6.15
SARAH can strike in the feature Guinness Handicap Hurdle. Unsuited by the pace earlier this week on her Flat debut, MY SISTER SARAH rattled home all too late behind her stablemate Mt Leinster.
She looked a tad unlucky and the return to a staying trip over timber should see her come into the race a lot earlier. She’s a Punchestown Festival winner over this distance, but she hasn’t been over it since having spent most of last season running over shorter in Graded races and top handicaps like the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham.
She seemed to handle the track fine on Monday and she has Rachel Blackmore — what’s not to like!
Great White Shark must go well given his consistency at last year’s Festival. He was beaten less than three lengths in Monday’s Amateur Derby and the last time he was over hurdles resulted in him taking third at the Cheltenham Festival.
6.45
CONVARA can make amends for a last fence fall at Tipperary earlier this month. Leading all the way, Andrew Slattery’s ace was unfortunate to fall at the last after barely being asked by Cathal Landers (below) up to that point.
He just got it all wrong and didn’t lift his front legs high enough — and that left smart Davids Charm clear to run out a very convincing winner.
It would have been close between the pair, but I think he would’ve held on and that form is more than good enough to be winning this.
The 134-rated Star Max may have plenty of experience, but he’s yet to win a race since his novice hurdle win at Limerick in March last year.
The selection was on his way to beating a horse rated 149 over hurdles last time so he may have to find improvement from somewhere. Well adrift in third in that race, Global Jackpot could improve enough to be the main danger here.
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7.15
ROBIN can rule the roost. Paul Townend was on the right one last year when steering Yorkhill to victory and I think he’s on the right one again this year with ROBIN DES FORET.
One of five in here to have run in the Plate, the 10-year-old showed up well for a long way there and should hopefully show the benefit for it in this much smaller field.
He had never been out of the frame in three runs here prior to that and he has shown up well in plenty of top handicaps. He gives Willie Mullins a great chance of landing this again.
Stablemate Livelovelaugh has to take high rank after finishing four places ahead of the selection on Wednesday. He went well from the front there under David Mullins and should do so again here.
Gordon Elliott’s Mengli Khan should be all the better for a recent win over timber at Kilbeggan. The Gigginstown seven-year-old wasn’t beaten far in last year’s Plate and Davy Russell clearly agrees by riding him instead of The Storyteller.
He comes into the race a lot fresher than the Closutton trio and that could count for plenty.
7.45
POUR it on the bookies with PORTMORE LOUGH. Two from two here last year and with the second of those wins coming over this distance, it’s hard to get away from John Kiely’s top-weight in the Blazers.
His Troytown third is the best form on offer and he is sure to have been well tuned up for this given his yard’s reputation here at Galway. They went very close with their only runner of the week so far on Monday and he is by far their best chance of a winner. He will take all the beating with the talented Gavin Brouder taking 7lb off.
Last year’s fourth Tesseract is respected coming here fresh, but Macgiloney is feared most on his beating of Dr Duffy at Roscommon.
EAMONN HAMES
4.45 N’golo
5.15 Silver Star
5.45 Shumaker
6.15 My Sister Sarah (nap)
6.45 Convara
7.15 Robin Des Foret
7.45 Portmore Lough (nb)
8.15 Hallowed Star