Maguires to fight with Fire for Galway's opening feature

By Niall Cronin

After his best start to a season in many years, Dermot Weld goes into this years Galway Festival playing down his hopes of an equally memorable Galway and stresses there'll be no records broken this week.

He shoots two bullets at this evenings feature, however, this could be the first glimpse the wider public get at seeing a potential future star in jockey Finny Maguire as his father Adrian legs him up Fire Fighter in the Connacht Hotel Amateur Handicap.

A renowned top jockey himself, Maguire will leg Finny up on Fire Fighter who boasts some decent form coming into this two-miler and the six-year-old gets the nod in what is an ever competitive renewal.

The selection went down by half a length to Royal Ascot runner-up El Salvador on his penultimate start and although three-lengths behind today's rival Marchese Marconi last time, Fire Fighter is meeting that one on better terms now and can reverse the form.

DEBUT

Weld has won three out of last four novice hurdle openers and, like Train Of Thought two years ago, Manhattan Swing will attempt to win it today on his hurdling debut.

Davy Russell will take the ride having got off the Des McDonogh trained Punchestown winner Morga to do so but that may prove to be a decision the former champion jockey regrets as Morga looks to set the standard.

Postulation is Weld's runner in the 7f maiden and should become his 23rd winner of that particular race while in the concluding bumper point to point winner Call Vinnie can oblige.