Galway Tips: Mark Milligan is feeling the Romance on Thursday's card

Galway is never an easy place to turn a profit and Thursday's card looks particularly trappy so stakes are best kept on the low side.

The Beginners Chase (14:10) that opens the card makes the point succinctly, with at least three of four of the field in with a solid chance.

Gordon Elliott goes into the race two-handed but it's his Fakiera who looks the stronger of the pair, having finished a head second at Limerick last time. A 144-rated hurdler, she looks open to more progress and is very much respected.

Alfa Mix was also a useful hurdler but he's proved expensive to follow over fences so far and was again well backed when only third at Kilbeggan last time. I'm prepared to take him on.

The one I want to be with is John McConnell's Chinx Of Light, was narrowly denied on his penultimate start and was well fancied at Limerick last time but never got a chance to show what he could as he crashed out at the sixth fence.

I'm hoping he's none the worse for that fall as he still looks to have plenty of scope for improvement over the bigger obstacles.

He wasn't quite as good as a couple of these over hurdles but looks the type to make a much better chaser in time.

Sole Pretender the one back over fences

The following Grade 3 Novice Chase (14:45) looks a warm little heat and there's sure to be plenty of money around for Willie Mullins' Ganapathi, who has made an unbeaten start to life over fences.

A decent hurdler on his day, this strong traveller has scored twice over fences at Wexford without being too hard pressed and should continue to develop.

He's the kind of horse who seems to have been around for ages but it's worth noting he's still only a 6-y-o.

While he's obviously got a solid chance, I prefer the claims of Sole Pretender, who could offer a bit more value given he represents lower-profile connections.

Norman Lee's charge won his first two starts over fences with the minimum of fuss, the first at Ballinrobe in May before following up at Roscommon last month.

He was back over hurdles for his latest start, where he ran creditably to finish second in a good handicap at Tipperary, beaten 3 lengths by Santa Rossa but attempting to concede that useful mare 10lb.

That was a fine run in the circumstances but this 150-rated hurdler's immediate future lies back over the bigger obstacles and he is taken to continue his progression back in that sphere.

The waters are obviously deeper than for his first two runs over fences, though he's entitled to be bang in the reckoning, particularly when you consider he's rated the best of these over the smaller obstacles.

Ganapathi is clearly the one to beat but I'm not convinced he'll find quite as much as Sole Pretender on the climb for home.

Thriving filly to take step up in class in her stride

Back on the flat, Joseph O'Brien's thriving filly Night Of Romance can make the step up in class and take the listed race at 15:55.

The winner of a pair of Leicester handicaps for Karl Burke last year, the daughter of Night Of Thunder completed the hat-trick on her first start for the O'Brien yard at Doncaster last August.

Her form then tailed off a little, but she's returned a much-improved filly this season.

She got a bit upset in the stalls at the Curragh prior to her seasonal debut, where she also faded as if in need of the run.

However, she's bounced back to form with a pair of wins in handicap company since then, the first coming at Gowran in last month, before she followed up in a valuable contest at the Curragh around a month ago.

Having started out life in handicaps from a mark of 76, she now has a lofty official rating of 97 and won't need to take much more of step forward to prove herself a worthy contender at this level.

In a listed race that looks more about quantity than quality, Night Of Romance can bring up another hat-trick.