While most of Galway has been indulging itself this week, the champion jockey Ruby Walsh has had to pursue rather more meagre rations in order to make the weight on Shandon Star in today's Guinness Hurdle. The good news though is that this evening's dinner could well be a celebratory one.
Unlike Ansar in yesterday's Plate, Shandon Star has bottom weight of 10st 1lb in the €200,000 fourth day feature but that is a stretch that Walsh expects to make.
The fact he is willing to do so at all is a significant hint at the mare's chance as Walsh doesn't go that low for just any mount.
He got down to 10st 2lb for Numbersixvalverde in the Irish Grand National last year and the sweating paid off with a lucrative success.
At that time, Shandon Star looked a long way removed from ever starting a Galway Hurdle but after 10 defeats over jumps she then encountered quick ground for the first time and started to thrive.
Three wins from four starts over flights has been added to this summer with a pair of victories on the flat that have only emphasised how improved she is when the ground is quick.
With the going forecast to keep drying out, and with Shandon Star only marginally higher in the ratings compared to her last hurdles start a year ago, conditions look to be coming in her favour.
An obvious concern will be having to try to pick her way through the 20-strong field but Walsh is the perfect big-race rider in such circumstances and if he secures a clear passage there will be few finishing better.
Sagaman (25 to 1) in 1991 was the last British-trained winner of the race but both Crossbow Creek and Glimmer Of Light look to face a hard task against the locals who the ante-post betting indicates will be headed by Kinger Rocks.
This will be the Weld runner's first start in a handicap over hurdles, however, and comparative inexperience may find her out in a race as competitive as this.
Bigger threats could come instead from the ex-German Middlemarch, a good winner on the flat at Naas last time, and Proud To Be Irish, the mount of Monday's GPT winning jockey James O'Farrell whose father Seamus won the race with Perugino Diamond six years ago.
Proud To Be Irish's last run over hurdles was a disappointing one at Gowran in June but he did better with a decent effort on the flat at Killarney behind King Rama.
Mirpour, fifth in the GPT, is another with claims but Shandon Star can reward a big effort from her jockey and secure a second Galway Hurdle for trainer Willie Mullins.
Middlemarch is Pat Fahy's representative in the big race but the Athenry-born trainer could have better luck in the later mile handicap with Leeside Music.
The five-year-old had been mostly campaigning over hurdles but put in a fine run on the flat at Tipperary when only a head behind the Ballydoyle runner Lily Elise.
A repeat of that would put Leeside Music bang into this and the horse could end up better value than the ex-John Best trained Little Eye, a three-time winner in Britain, whose first start for Dermot Weld was a good run behind Medico at Leopardstown.
Pent House made a smooth winning debut at Leopardstown in an ordinary maiden but a mark of 80 doesn't look overly severe for her in the seven-furlong handicap while another Leopardstown winner Galistic can defy a 5lb penalty in the mile and a half race.
Davenport Democrat boasts a decent rating in the novice hurdle, as well as a wide margin win at Roscommon, but Line Ball looks a better option.
Christy Roche's horse is unproven on quick conditions but was impressive at Wexford on his last start and Roche must be happy that ground will not be an issue.
n Betting broke the €5 million barrier at Galway yesterday with a €700,000 increase in bookmaker turnover taking the total to €3,755,082.
It included €771,308 on the big race alone. The Tote was down over €85,000 to €1,450,635.
However, there was a slight increase in the attendance figure which reached 28,817.
