Galway Tips: Mark Milligan fancies four on the second day of the Summer Festival

The quality on the second day of the Galway Summer Festival is very much with the jumpers towards the front of the card and we kick off with the 2m 110yds Listed Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle at 17:10.

As one would expect, Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins hold a strong hand in this contest, the former with Amir Kabir who struck on his hurdling debut for the yard at Roscommon three weeks ago.

Bought out of Roger Charlton's stable for 135,000 guineas, this son of Mukhadram looked a useful prospect there and clearly expectations will be high for him given that purchase price.

However, I'm siding with the Mullins trainee Tax For Max, who has had eight starts over timber and can put that experience to good use.

Beaten just a length into third by Felix Desjy in a good handicap at Punchestown in April, Tax For Max didn't need to improve to get off the mark at the same venue when last seen in May, coming home comfortably ahead of Esperti.

He was a smart performer on the flat in Germany when trained by Henk Grewe (officially rated 110 at his peak) and that rating compares very favourably with the mark that Amir Kabir ran to when trained by Charlton, who peaked at 87.

Tax For Max - available at 2.8 on the Sportbook - has plenty in his favour here and I'm confident he can take care of his less experienced opponent.

Mullins to double up

The following 2m 2f Latin Quarter Beginners Chase (17:40) also has a touch of quality to it, with Joseph O'Brien's Midnight Run very much the one to beat.

While he's yet to get off the mark over fences, he's shown some solid form in decent company and would have been in the shake-up in Grade 1 company on his most recent jumps start if not coming to grief three from home.

He confirmed his wellbeing with a win on the flat last week so is clearly in good heart, though I'm happy oppose him with Willie Mullins' chasing debutant Jon Snow.

This one also looked in good order when second in a flat handicap at Listowel last month, essentially just finding himself a bit tapped for toe back in that sphere.

That was only his second start since August 2020, so he's entitled to strip fitter still, and you'd have to think getting him over the bigger obstacles has been the plan for some time.

He'd looked a really good prospect in novice hurdles before being side-lined, and if he can translate that level of form to fences, he's going to take plenty of stopping.

Karakoul should prove too good

We're back on the flat for the 7f Caulfield Industrial Irish EBF Maiden at 19:15, where 13 3-y-os line up, though this isn't anywhere near as competitive as those numbers suggest.

Dermot Weld has always to be respected at this venue and his filly Butterfly Island looks sure to be towards the head of the betting.

However, she's beginning to look pretty exposed after nine starts and probably isn't the most straightforward to boot (has the dreaded Timeform squiggle).

Consequently, the one to be with is Johnny Murtagh's Karakoul, who split Piz Badile and Buckaroo in a Killarney maiden last summer and ran a decent race to finish fourth to Baroque Artist when last seen in November.

He's been freshened since then, and also had a gelding operation, something which should hopefully bring about a bit of improvement, though it's doubtful whether he'll actually have to improve much, if at all, to come out on top in this maiden.

Ransom an eye-catcher last time

The 7f Caulfieldindustrial.com Handicap at 19:50 is a much more competitive affair and there are plenty in with chances.

However, none were more eye-catching last time than Ransom, who ended up well off the pace in a steadily run contest and then met some trouble before eventually finishing fifth.

The son of Kingman had looked a useful prospect for Sir Michael Stoute in his younger days, winning his first two starts at Lingfield and Kempton before starting out life in handicaps from a mark of 88.

He's gradually been coming down the weights since joining the Denis Hogan yard and gets to race off a perch of 77 here, a mark that should prove well within his compass if he can recapture that early form.

His last run suggested he was on the way back to that sort of level and he looks a good each-way prospect in a race that should be run to suit his hold-up style.