By Brian O`Connor
THE Tralee festival winds up this weekend, and today`s fixture can see Testify get his own back on one of the stars of the Galway festival, Bannow Bay.
The latter won twice at Ballybrit, including when he put three-and-a-half lengths between himself and Testify, a performance that was greeted by a 12lb hike by the handicapper.
The result is that Bannow Bay now has to hump 12.4 in the McGiff Handicap Hurdle and Testify enjoys a 19lb turnaround in the weights.
Green Light finished third in the Galway race and enjoys an even greater weight pull with Bannow Bay, but Testify is a consistent sort who can notch a decent success for his trainer, Michael O`Connor.
The most valuable race on today`s card is the #11,000 Brandon Hotel Hotel, a contest that can allow Nick The Butler to follow up victories at Naas and Tipperary.
Sophronia followed up a Wexford bumper win in June with an excellent performance at Ballinrobe, where she ran Bayyanna to a shorthead in a flat maiden. That should see Willie Mullins` horse ahead of the Galway and Cork winner Rua Lass.
John Oxx runs two in the Finches Ladies Race, and while Deylviyna did okay to beat Maradan at Wexford, Oxx`s other runner, Quest For Peace, looks the one to be on.
Tomorrow`s card could see some of the short odds merchants in their element. Moscow Retreat, for one, looks hard to oppose in the novice chase as Michael Hourigan`s horse looked a very decent prospect indeed when winning at Galway.
Pat Hughes runs his GPT winner Gamekeeper for the second time at the festival after a disappointing effort in Wednesday`s Guinness Gold Cup and the horse has to be respected in the opening maiden hurdle.
Hughes also runs Theseus in the four-runner novice hurdle and this one looks a better bet to handle the soft conditions than Pillar Rock or Aerleon Pete.
Rudi`s Pleasure, a course and distance winner in June, can follow up in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle.
