Galway Races tips, race card, runners, start time and more for day one at Ballybrit

The Galway Races get underway today - but will be a lot different than usual.

One of the sporting and social events of the summer, the seven-day meeting will this year will be run behind closed doors due to Covid-19.

Eight races take place on the opening day of the festival. Here's everything you need to know about it:

What time is the first race?

The first of the contests gets is scheduled to start at 4.10pm.

What's the big race?

The feature race on day one is the Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap which takes place at 6.45pm.

It was won last year by Great White Shark, who takes his chance again for champion trainer Willie Mullins.

The Carlow trainer also has the favourite in the race in Sharjah, who finished second in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this year.

Jody Townend on Great White Shark winning in 2019 (©INPHO/James Crombie)

Peter O'Hehir's tips for day one

4.10.Wembley

4.40.Kokura

5.15.Lightning Amber

5.45.Tanseeq

6.15.Share The Honour

6.45.De Name Escapes Me

7.15.Elizabethofaragon

7.45.Thosedaysaregone

Next Best

4.10.Lust

4.40.Quick Quick

5.15.Lady Scathach

5.45.Atlas

6.15.Wajaaha

6.45.Sharjah

7.15.Simply True

7.45.Mount Leinster

Double: Wembley and Elizabethofaragon.

O’Hehir’s Longshot: Takarengo (6.45.).

Runners and riders

4.10 race

1 Blue For You (IRE) Oisin Orr

2 Bramble Sand (IRE) Gearoid Brouder (7)

3 Cisco Disco (IRE) Gary Halpin

4 Cursory Exam Shane Foley

5 Lust (IRE) Colin Keane

6 Montenotte Robbie Colgan

7 My Friend Fred (IRE) Conor Maxwell (3)

8 Rebel Step (USA) B M Coen (3)

9 Trusted Ally L F Roche

10 Wembley (IRE) Wayne Lordan

4.40 race

1 Elite Legion (IRE) Shane Foley

2 Kourvoisier (IRE) Gavin Ryan (5)

3 Kokura B M Coen (3)

4 Paradiso (IRE) Wayne Lordan

5 Soaring Monarch (IRE) K J Manning

Soaring Monarch winning at Limerick (©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

6 Thaleeq Oisin Orr

7 At War (IRE) Chris Hayes

8 On Tick (IRE) M A Gallagher

9 Inside Intel (IRE) L F Roche

10 Quick Quick (IRE) Colin Keane

11 Deadwood (IRE) Robbie Colgan

12 Eglish Stephen Mooney (7)

13 Glow Worm (IRE) Ronan Whelan

14 Sister Eliza (IRE) M P Sheehy (7)

15 Talking Tough (IRE) W J Lee

16 Pretty Rebel (IRE) Reserve 1

17 Adamaris (IRE) Reserve 2

18 Navorrosse (IRE) Reserve 3

5.15 race

1 High Altitude (IRE) Robbie Colgan

2 Lightning Amber (IRE) Gavin Ryan (5)

3 Royal Canford (IRE) W J Lee

4 Visionara B M Coen (3)

5 Will Be King (IRE) Shane Foley

6 Dedillon (IRE) A J Slattery (3)

7 Lady Scathach (IRE) D E Sheehy (5)

8 Aced It (IRE) S M Crosse (3)

9 Emphatic (IRE) Ross Coakley

10 Rattling Jewel Wayne Lordan

11 Grey Hill (IRE) M A Gallagher

12 Billyfairplay (IRE) Joseph Sheridan (5)

13 Pulsating (IRE) Tom Madden

5.45 race

1 Fridtjof Nansen Colin Keane

2 She's A Babe (IRE) S M Crosse (3)

3 Phoenix Open (USA) Shane Foley

4 Atlas (IRE) Joseph Sheridan (5)

5 Khafaaq A J Slattery (3)

6 Mandolin Wind (FR) K J Manning

7 The Mpex Kid (IRE) M P Sheehy (7)

The Mpex Kid (©INPHO/Ryan Byrne)

8 War Hero (IRE) Ronan Whelan

9 Tanseeq R P Cleary

10 Eastern Racer (IRE) Sean Davis

11 Qaabil (IRE) Oisin Orr

12 Foreign Legion (IRE) Conor Maxwell (3)

13 Lizbuncon (IRE) L F Roche

6.15 race

1 Buckman Tavern (FR) Robbie Colgan

2 Centroid Gavin Ryan (5)

3 Legal Spin (IRE) Joseph Sheridan (5)

4 Lariat Ronan Whelan

5 Wajaaha (IRE) Sean Davis

6 Contrapposto (IRE) Adrian O'Shea (5)

7 On The Balcony (IRE) R P Cleary

8 Noble Music (GER) Declan McDonogh

9 Park Row (IRE) Ross Coakley

10 Share The Honour Colin Keane

11 Anycity (IRE) Conor Maxwell (3)

12 Globe Theatre (USA) S M Crosse (3)

13 Penny Out (IRE) Trevor Whelan

14 Estijmaam Shane Foley

15 No Say Ever J P Shinnick (7)

16 Moving Forward (IRE) W J Lee

17 Mount Jannu (IRE) Reserve 1

18 Grace To Grace (IRE) Reserve 2

19 Ally Cay (IRE) Reserve 3

6.45 race

1 Time To Study (FR) Mr John James O'Neill (7)

2 Dalton Highway (IRE) Mr J J Codd

3 King's Vow (FR) Mr N Bashford (7)

4 Sharjah (FR) Mr P W Mullins

Patrick Mullins on Sharjah winning the Galway Hurdle in 2018 (©INPHO/James Crombie)

5 Insignia Of Rank (IRE) Mr E Dwan (7)

6 Grandmaster Flash (IRE) Mr B O'Neill

7 Great White Shark (FR) Miss J Townend (7)

8 Tiger Tap Tap (GER) Mr D G Lavery (3)

9 Aircraft Carrier (IRE) Mr C J Gorman (7)

10 Zenon (IRE) Mr R Deegan (5)

11 De Name Escapes Me (IRE) Mr Derek O'Connor

12 Run For Mary (IRE) Mr P Byrnes (7)

13 Mister Blue Sky (IRE) Ms M J Horsman (7)

14 Dalileo (IRE) Mr A P Ryan (7)

15 Golden Spear Mr B W Harvey (7)

16 Mutadaffeq (IRE) Mr M J O'Hare

17 Princess Zoe (GER) Mr Finian Maguire (3)

18 Takarengo (IRE) Ms L O'Neill

19 A Wave Of The Sea (IRE) Mr T Hamilton

20 Machine Learner Miss A B O'Connor (5)

21 Great Bear Reserve 1

22 The Mouse Doctor (IRE) Reserve 2

23 Foveros (FR) Reserve 3

7.15 race

1 Elizabethofaragon (IRE) K K Hennessy (7)

2 Yulong Pearlisland (IRE) Shane Foley

3 Simply True (IRE) Ronan Whelan

4 Celtic Crown (IRE) Robbie Colgan

5 Flying Scotsman (IRE) Wayne Lordan

6 Lilli Milena (IRE) Oisin Orr

7 Alexei Vronsky (IRE) L F Roche

8 Varna Gold (IRE) R P Cleary

9 Dazzling Darren (IRE) Chris Hayes

10 Son Of Hypnos (IRE) A J Slattery (3)

11 Dark Voyager (IRE) Colin Keane

7.45 race

1 Born By The Sea (IRE) Mr Liam Gilligan (7)

2 Got Trumped Mr M McGuane (7)

3 Mt Leinster (IRE) Mr P W Mullins

Mt Leinster (©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo)

4 Nathaniel's Dream Mr B W Harvey (7)

5 Thosedaysaregone (IRE) Mr P Byrnes (7)

6 Dollys Destination (IRE) Mr O McGill (7)

7 Lighthouse Lady (IRE) Mr M K Tobin (7)

8 Marvel Fan (FR) Mr D McCabe (7)

9 My Sister Sarah (IRE) Miss J Townend (7)

10 Western Victory (IRE) Mr D L Queally (3)

11 Ciel D'afrique (IRE) Mr J J Codd

12 Druid's Altar (IRE) Mr T Hamilton

13 Sweet Will (IRE) Mr J Dunne (7)

14 Must Be Dreaming (IRE) Mr N T Prendergast (7)

15 Path Of Flowers (IRE) Mr A T Feeney (7)

16 Poster Child (IRE) Miss A Corrado (7)

17 Liam's Approval (IRE) Reserve 1

18 Movie King (IRE) Reserve 2

19 Muyam Spirit (FR) Reserve 3