Eight races with a total of 114 runners on ground that is drying out all the time presents the giant Galway crowds with some really difficult puzzles today, none more so than the £60,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle.
Twenty seven line up for the big hurdle contest of the festival with four coming from the Noel Meade yard alone.
Shankar, one of five British trained horses, tops the weights but the defection last week of Theatreworld has brought the JP McManus owned Vivo into the handicap proper with a measly 10.3 and that could prove vital.
Vivo has been somewhat in and out in his performances over hurdles but he is at least reasonably assured of acting on the prevailing good to firm ground.
The course authorities have been busy watering the track but the baking sunshine prompted one leading trainer to quip: "They may as well be having a good piss for themselves!"
That image may not be one to keep at the front of your mind but it should pay to at least store it in the back. Barry Geraghty seems to have as he has chosen to ride Miss Emer instead of the apparent top of the Meade four, River Pilot. & rTpDer Pilot.
Indeed, Try For Ever could emerge best of the Meade horses as she travels so well through her races. That comment also applies to Monday's GPT third Rathbawn Prince and the Edward O'Grady trained Dance So Suite.
Meade won this race twice with Pinch Hitter in 1982 and 1983 and Dermot Weld has also won it twice with Strathline (1985) and Spanner who won a division in 1975. This time, Moving On Up looks to be the pick of Weld's pair with Tony McCoy in the plate. The ground however may be a problem there also.
In contrast, the problem with Vivo could be whether he is in the sort of go form that made him such an effective operator during his flat career and when winning over hurdles at Leopardstown last season.
If he is, he looks potentially well handicapped here and Christy Roche's booking of Charlie Swan looks ideal. The former champion is a superb hold up jockey, possessed of a proven big race temperament as he proved when scoring a Galway Hurdle victory on Camden Buzz six year ago.
Roche and McManus also have Khairabar in the race but if both are to break their Galway Hurdle duck, Vivo looks the one to do it.
Roche has had a comparatively quiet Galway so far but he could also strike back in style with Billywill in the novice hurdle.
A smart bumper performer last season, Billywill won a 14 furlong flat race at Down Royal this summer in very easy style from Clever Consul who ran a decent second here earlier in the week. Given an adequate round of jumping, Billywill can take care of Outrigger and Storm Ten.
The Meade trained Dante's Battle can beat Diamond Melody in the opening novice chase while Swan will be fancying his chances in the three mile handicap hurdle with the Pat Hughes trained Duinin.
On the level, Dermot Weld's Fairy King filly South Of Heaven is likely to attract support in the maiden but on the evidence of her Gowran debut, the Aidan O'Brien newcomer Sugar Plum Fairy would not have to be special to beat her.
