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Mark Milligan likes a Mullins horse at Galway
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Well-handicapped Hamilton runner to strike
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Galway - 17:55 - Back The Twelve Pins
'Just back Willie's in the bumper.'
It's a popular refrain, but more often than not a sensible one, and Willie Mullins' The Twelve Pins looks to hold strong claims in the closer at Galway.
This daughter of Beat Hollow made a highly promising debut when runner-up against geldings at this festival a year ago and hasn't seen since then, but layoffs of this type are rarely an issue given that yard she hails from.
From a family that the Mullins stable has had plenty of success with, The Twelve Pins covered a fair bit more ground the winner around the outside in her debut run but was still only beaten a neck by one who went on to run in a Grade 2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Although 17 runners go t post in this mares-only contest, plenty appear to be just making up the numbers and it will be disappointing if the selection can't get off the mark.
Hamilton - 20:00 - Back Forza Orta
This 1m 5f handicap looks reasonably open despite containing only seven runners, though the top weight Forza Orta could well hold a class edge on his main rivals.
Kevin Ryan's charge won twice in 2022 - including over this C&D in May - and has been contesting stronger handicaps than this of late, running reasonably well despite not really being involved at the business end.
His two handicap wins last season came in better races than this also, and it's also worth noting his was tried in listed class at Ayr on his penultimate start of the season.
The 5-y-o gelding has been creeping back down the weights and now gets to race off the same mark as when successful on the Knavesmire just over a year ago.
He's also proven on ground softer than good, so conditions shouldn't be an issue.