Paudi now the punter’s pal . . .

 THE National Hunt season will crank up a few gears when Galway stages its final meeting of the year over the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend as several potentially exciting types could make their fencing debuts at Ballybrit.

With over €200,000 up for grabs over the two-day meeting on Sunday (1.25pm) and Monday (1.35 pm), trainers are set to take the wraps off some interesting recruits to the larger obstacles in the W.B. Gavin Beginners Chase over 2m 6f on Monday.

Twelve months ago, Dessie Hughes saddled Lyreen Legend, subsequently second in the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham festival, to win this informative event and the Curragh-based trainer has entered Seefood and Si C’Etait Vrai, while Gordon Elliott could be represented by one-time classy hurdler, Don Cossack.

The feature event on Monday is the Ennis Lifts Handicap Chase and the joint highest rated entry is last year’s Galway Plate hero Bob Lingo, with the Mouse Morris trained Bruff – a scorer at the summer festival – also among the intended line up.

Sunday’s card is dominated by the Faber Audiovisuals Novice Chase and it could feature recent winners, Shrapnel and Passage Vendone, along with the Val O’Brien trained Clar Na Mionn which got off the mark over fences in Roscommon last May.

Another potentially revealing contest on Sunday is the Barna Waste Novice Hurdle as Shark Hanlon’s Araku, the Aidan O’Brien trained Carriganog and course winners, Rossvoss and Glenconkeyne, all try to augment maiden successes.

Track manager John Moloney reports that the ground is currently soft with showers and sunny spells forecast over the weekend. “There are some promising horses entered over the two days, including Don Cossack, and the racing will be well up to standard for this time of year.

Reflecting on the year’s racing at Ballybrit, Moloney issued an upbeat appraisal. “It was a good year all round – we had great crowds at the summer festival and the overall attendance at the recent September meeting was also up.”

On Bank Holiday Monday, racegoers will be in with a chance of winning a Shop & Stay Package, comprising of a €500 shopping voucher for the Athlone Shopping Centre and two nights B&B and one evening meal in the Sheraton Athlone Hotel. Entry forms available at the turnstiles.