Jane Mangan
Jane Mangan’s William Hill Blog: Galway Festival Day One Best Bets
William Hill ambassador Jane Mangan is here with her best bets on Day 1 of the 2026 Galway Festival.
Monday, Galway
The opening race of the Galway Festival, the Novice Hurdle (5.10pm) over two miles, is usually a fascinating contest. It was won three years ago by the subsequent dual Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Mystical Power. Willie Mullins won this with Davy Crockett last year, and I like his chances again here with WITCHES FAMILIAR. The Zarak filly is out of a sister to Big Bucks, so she’s got a blend of speed from her dad and stamina from her mum. She demolished a field of four-year-old fillies in a maiden at Ballinrobe in May by twelve lengths, and she could just be a class apart in the opener.
The seven-furlong maiden (6.10pm) was won last year by none other than Constitution River, who looks to be one of Europe’s leading three-year-old colts now. This time round, I like the chances of OUR BOY BAILEY. He was a good second to Dancing Destiny on debut in a maiden at Roscommon over this trip in May and finished 11th of 25 in the Windsor Castle behind King Of Cloughan and Moonrise. I think the step back up in trip will suit, and if you look at that Windsor Castle form, he’s got subsequent Group-race winners Celeron and Alfred Wallace behind him. That was a great run in the circumstances, and I fancy him to get his head in front here.
Next up is the Premier Handicap (6.40pm), where the last three winners of the race are turning up again this year. Emmet Mullins has two runners in the shape of Teed Up, who is chasing his seventh win at the track, and Filey Bay, who runs off a six-pound higher mark. Willie Mullins’ Sirius is interesting, but I am siding with the other JP McManus contender, LIGHT UP THE DARK. A draw in stall 21 won’t make things simple, but sometimes a wide draw isn’t exactly a curse, as shown four years ago when Patrick Mullins won on Echoes In Rain from the same gate. Light Up The Dark finished third, just one length behind Teed Up, over course and distance at this meeting last year as a four-year-old, and she was an eye-catching fourth at Fairyhouse last time out having met trouble in running. She is one of four runners for Joseph O’Brien, and she is almost certainly well handicapped. If she can overcome the bad draw, I think she will take a lot of beating.
In the Galway Handicap (7.15pm) over seven furlongs it looks like DANCING SAXON’s race to lose. She’s due to go up a stone in the handicap for her most recent run when second in a Listed race at Naas, and this stiff seven furlongs should enhance her chances after going well over six furlong’s last week. She won at Limerick sixteen days ago and she’s due to go up further than her mark of 80, so I think she’s well handicapped here.
