Rhys Williams' Friday Racing Tips: Hidden promise in bare form of Blins

Exeter form and links to it look weak

Stratford 20:40: Hope Des Blins 3pt win w/o the favourite 7/2

With the overnight markets having taken care of the prices of Premier Magic, Law Of Gold and Bletchley Castle, I'm left with just one selection on tonight's card at Stratford. The overnight market has impacted that horse's price to some extent but she's still a very appealing bet.

Only five line up in the PTP bumper that ends the card and Latenightfumble is odds-on favourite having run very well when a close third in the Aintree PTP bumper a couple of weeks ago. She finished 32 lengths and more ahead of the three horses that either ran in the Exeter PTP bumper or had form links to it and once again she has three rivals that fit that category.

Rose Above It won the Exeter PTP bumper, beating Crews Pitch by four lengths with Fountains Chief another 7½ lengths back in third. Crews Pitch, who has since finished 32 lengths behind Latenightfumble at Aintree, beat Granny Mags by five lengths at Revesby Park earlier in the season. My opinion of the Exeter race at the time was that it was weak and that opinion only strengthened after Aintree. It may be that one of them suddenly improves from that they've shown so far but there's nothing to suggest that's likely and, as at Aintree, I prefer to stick with those that have run in maiden points instead.

The final runner lining up in this race is Hope Des Blins and I would make her second favourite for this race. However, rather than backing her in the straight market at 17/2, I think a far more appealing bet is the 7/2 available in the without the favourite market and she's a strong selection.

She's already faced Latenightfumble when finishing 30 lengths behind her at Dingley on debut. However, although the bare form of that may not seem appealing, and is likely what has caused her chance to be so significantly underestimated, she ran far better than the margin beaten suggests.

She led from an early stage and was still at the head of a leading group of four going down the back for the final time. That four soon became three and she was then joined for the lead. Despite stumbling slightly just before the fence, she jumped back to a clear advantage at the third in the back and it then became a match between her and Latenightfumble as the pair started to go clear. That rival jumped to the front at 2 out and Hope Des Blins was pushed along to give chase but she had little left once turning into the straight and, with James King taking it very easy on the run in, she was just caught for second on the line.

The way that Hope Des Blins travelled for a long way in this race suggested that she has a good level of ability and her stamina just gave way late on when trying to go with a very good rival.

Her only run since came just over two weeks ago at Cothelstone and once again she led from an early stage. However, her jumping had already looked less than convincing at a few fences before she came down at the second in the back on the final circuit when still travelling well.

It may turn out that Hope Des Blins is just a weak finisher and even this sharper test will prove too much for her or that this run will come quick enough after a fall only 16 days ago.

However, I think her debut run suggests that she has more ability than her three rivals in the without the favourite market and, having led in her point runs, there's a chance that James King could make the running on her again without too much pressure which would help her chance further.

I think this market is a very long way out from where it should be and she therefore rates a very strong bet at 7/2.