Johnny Ward's best bets for the Galway Festival on Friday

We enter the second half of the fare at Galway - and in normal years you are either running on empty or just ready to get going at this stage!

Many of us have met a new love at the races, many have met an old love at the races. When Fran Berry was on talking about Tudor City on On The Wire this week, it recalled watching it with a lady in a wine bar to whom I had tipped the horse.

Berry got the horse up on the line to land a big gamble and the wine was flowing.

Of course, the skeletal crowd this week has rendered it nothing like what Galway should be. If you have not visited the city, I couldn't advise it more. Hopefully, in 12 months' time, we will be back to normal.

I'm really surprised how big this horse is in the market for an owner who clearly loves winners at Galway. Shark Hanlon said he reckoned he was "special" after he won a bumper, and he ran well in one here 12 months ago.

Being by Sea The Stars, he did well to run so competitively in maidens last season, but he was predictably a different proposition when hacking up at Roscommon last time and I am pretty amazed he's still deemed eligible for a 0-116.

On the evidence I have, he's potentially, or already, a stone better than that. He rates a decent each-way bet.

A bit chancy but clearly Paul Townend was always going to ride Stratum, who doesn't convince me at all over hurdles, and there's nothing to say Brian Hayes' mount won't be fancied.

She's been off for a long time but she's only six, trained by Willie Mullins, was a smart juvenile and is quite stoutly bred. She is well worth a shot at the prices.