The Guinness Handicap at Galway was hardly what was originally intended for the grandly bred Hitchcock but the €70,000 fifth-day feature does look a winning opportunity for the Kieren Fallon-ridden horse.
Aidan O'Brien saddled Theatreworld to land this pot in both 1998 and 1999 and although Hitchcock is a different proposition to that hardy dual-purpose star he should find the mile and a half, and the stiff finish, to be ideal.
The three parts brother to the Group One-winning Hold That Tiger needed all of the 10 furlongs, and an inspired Fallon ride, at Naas where he broke his duck at the fourth time of asking. However, the form looks a lot better now that the runner-up Wordly Wise bolted up here on Wednesday and there was the impression at Naas that Hitchcock was crying out for a hike in trip.
The second most valuable race on the card is the €50,000 handicap chase where half the runners are out of the weights proper. Euro Leader, 10th in the GPT on Monday, brings an undoubted touch of class to the race but whether it's enough to concede a lot of weight to the Perth winner Prince Of Pleasure, who is only 3lb wrong, is debatable.
However, the most interesting runner of the evening could be in the 14-furlong conditions race where the ex-David Elsworth-trained Salford City has his first start for Noel Meade.
Two years ago this half brother to Definite Article won the Greenham for Michael Tabor before before running sixth to Haafhd in the Guineas and fifth to North Light in the Derby.
Subsequently moved to Patrick Biancone in America, he ran eight times and although winning only once, in an allowance race at Belmont, he didn't finish too far behind Shakespeare and Ace in last October's Turf Classic in New York.
Mark Prescott brings the German Listed-winner Elusive Dream and the Newmarket trainer is rarely far wrong in his Irish raids. But on the figures he does have a bit to find and Johnny Murtagh can successfully reunite with his classic partner from two years ago.
