Galway Festival First-day preview: It's 21 years since legendary trainer Paddy Mullins supplied his son Willie with the winning ride on Pargan in the Day One feature at the Galway festival, and success for Warrens Castle this evening would complete a remarkable success for the Mullins family.

This time it's Willie's turn to give the leg up to his son Patrick in the GPT Handicap, possibly the most prestigious prize for amateur riders in this country, and despite a typically competitive field of 20 runners, Warrens Castle's claims look sound.

But he is only one of a three-pronged Mullins assault, with Katie Walsh teaming up with last year's Kerry National winner Euro Leader, and Derek O'Connor on board Navajo Chieftain.

Euro Leader, joint topweight for Wednesday's Plate, comes here on the back of a fifth in the French Champion Hurdle last month, and before that he had run out a head winner from Warrens Castle on the flat at Leopardstown.

That, however, was a first start of the year for Warrens Castle, who also drifted in the closing stages as the pair fought out a hectic finish.

The benefit of the run to Warrens Castle was clearly shown on the same track next time out when he won comfortably and, significantly, handed Stolen Light a comprehensive beating.

Mullins jnr is conceding quite a lot of experience to some of his rivals tonight, but he has already shown he rides well, and Warrens Castle, who started favourite for last year's Plate when finishing fifth, has proven the track will not be a problem.

Pat Hughes holds an excellent record in the GPT, having won it twice with Gamekeeper (2000-01) and Rapid Deployment in 2003.

This time he's got Spanish John and Peak Of Perfection, who will have his supporters, while a peak-form Mirpour would be another to check out closely.

But Warrens Castle looks the best bet to secure a cross-generational Mullins triumph.

Any success for Kieren Fallon this week will no doubt be raucously celebrated, and the Galway crowds could be shouting twice this evening as the former champion jockey, suspended from riding in Britain, has two significant-looking rides for Aidan O'Brien.

Before he even ran, Pescatorio was being backed for classic success - which looks pretty silly now as he lines up for the mile and a half handicap off a mark of 75.

But there was some encouragement in his last start over 12 furlongs at the Curragh behind Telemachus. Up to then, a mile was the furthest he had been tried at, so the fact O'Brien is persevering with him could be worth examining.

Chivalrous has a length and a half to make up on Dermot Weld's Fleeting Shadow from Curragh form behind Finicus in the seven furlong maiden that Weld has farmed in the past.

Since then, though, Chivalrous had been only narrowly edged out in a finish of necks in the Group Three Anglesey Stakes and clearly is a colt on the up.

Jim Bolger's Trachonitis has run twice at Gowran and, with the stable in form, he cannot be discounted.

But Chivalrous can bridge the gap in previous form with the likely favourite and guarantee Fallon a big reception.

Weld, who is a 1 to 10 favourite to yet again be the leading trainer at the meeting, has Summer Soul having a third start over jumps in the opening novice hurdle.

Ruby Walsh has elected to ride this one, and the Weld-Walsh team can repeat last year's festival opener when Kinger Rocks got home.

Zeroberto won the opener in 2004 and is topweight for the handicap hurdle today.

The concessions may just foil the Weld runner, and preference is for Charyan, who is rated much the same level of horse on the flat but who has almost a stone less to carry here.

Charyan was a very smart bumper mare but hasn't looked the most natural of jumpers. Nevertheless, she has won one of her four hurdle races and at these weights looks worth checking out.

Careless Abandon ran a nice race behind Piltown at Ballinrobe recently and, importantly, has a good draw for the seven furlong handicap.