1XBET TOUR SERIES DECIDER ON OFFER AT GALWAY

Peter Farrell

With the Connacht Derby concluding last weekend at Galway, attention now turns to another lucrative prize as the €5,000-to-the-winner 1XBet Tour Series A3 525 reaches its climax later tonight.

Given the substantial prize money on offer for a graded contest, it was no surprise that the competition attracted a strong entry. Heading into the decider, Hudson looks the likely favourite after lighting up the semi-finals with a superb 28.86 .10s performance. Trained by Patrick Norris for Mark Lowther, the exceptionally well-bred son of Droopys Sydney and Singalong Sally arrived in Galway with a growing reputation following two smart victories at Dundalk. On both occasions, the Norris runner powered up the home straight to score in impressive fashion. A return to the four-bend trip appeared ideal for the powerful black and, although he was edged out by Droopys Bugle in the opening round, he bounced back in brilliant style last weekend and is a deserving market leader. Drawn in trap five, another sharp 3.27 sectional should see him prominent early and, if that proves the case, he may prove difficult to contain down the back straight.

JACK THE CHIEF THREAT

Of his rivals, Gealltanas Jack rates the chief threat for the Feel-Good-Racing-Syndicate. The son of Black Parachute arrives as the only unbeaten finalist, having taken his opening round assignment in 29.22 .10s before following up with a 29.08 .10s success in the semi-finals. Perfectly housed in the red jacket tonight, he could pose a serious challenge to Hudson if breaking on terms.

LIVELY OUTSIDERS

Away from the leading duo, it is possible that Noelles Bebeto still has improvement to come over the four-bend trip. The June pup owned by Noelle and James Divilly showed notable progress on the clock last weekend, posting 29.36 in defeat. Still learning his trade, the son of Dromana Bucko would be unwise to dismiss, particularly as the sole wide runner from trap six. Hollywell Raptor is another runner on the upgrade. Trained by Colm Fitzgerald for the Stone-Madd-Two-Syndicate, the ‘Raptor’ was involved in a thrilling duel with Gealltanas Jack in the semi-finals before just fading late to finish second. On that occasion, the son of Kinloch Brae displayed impressive pace down the back straight and, despite a tricky draw in trap four, cannot be ruled out. The outsiders are Kirk Michael and Cillowen Vortex, set to run from traps two and three respectively. The former has attracted notable market support throughout the competition but has yet to reproduce the rapid sprint form he has shown at Dundalk and Shelbourne. Cillowen Vortex, meanwhile, appears to have plenty to find with the principals and will need to produce a career-best effort if George and Jake Gallery’s runner is to enter the reckoning.