Nap of the Day: Crockett to succeed in Wild West

The week-long marathon that is the Galway Races begins on Monday evening with a mixed card of National Hunt and Flat action at Ballybrit and some familiar names can come to the fore out west. Joseph O'Brien, Gordon Elliott and Dermot Weld all have good chances on day one. Weld was once the King of Ballybrit, but in more recent times Willie Mullins has cast his eyes towards the western outpost and, typically, has started to farm winners at the Galway Races.

He's got a promising and well-rated hurdling newcomer heading for the opening race and Davy Crockett is fancied as my NAP for day one of the Galway Races. Read on for my Nap of the Day.

17:10 Galway Odds

Mullins has increased his participation at the Galway Races over the last decade or so, targeting the useful prize money offered at Ballybrit with a variety of lesser lights from Closutton, or rising stars of the future.

So much so that Mullins has saddled more than 100 winners at this festival since 2010.

Mullins can land the opening Galway Bay Hotel & The Galmont Hotel Novice Hurdle with newcomer DAVY CROCKETT for owner JP McManus, with retained rider Mark Walsh on board.

The Camelot gelding was an easy winner of a bumper at Punchestown in June under Patrick Mullins, scooting clear to oblige in impressive fashion.

That was a race won in recent times by the likes of Faugheen and Marine Nationale before they went on to excel at the very top level of the National Hunt game.

Davy Crockett is bred to be well above average. He is a half-brother to Grade 1-winning hurdler Mystical Power in these colours out of the Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power for the Mullins operation. Mystical Power won this very contest at Galway in the infancy of his career.

This promising four-year-old should be well schooled at home and ready to go jumping hurdles now.

Noel Meade's Punchestown maiden hurdle winner Mick Collins and Elliott's Eternal Echo are the dangers on paper. The latter had promising bumper form, including in Listed company, before winning his maiden over timber at Cork (2m, soft) in April.

They both concede 7lb to Davy Crockett as winners and that could be an advantage this talented gelding scarcely needs.

He can get the well-oiled Closutton machine up and running for the week as Mullins looks to be leading trainer at the Galway Races for the 10th year on the trot.

Click the links for all the latest Horse Racing Odds and Fast Racing Results

Tune into Betfred Insights regularly to find our experts' Nap of the Day