Rhys Williams' Friday Racing Tips: Monaadhil to bounce back at Beverley

Potentially lenient opening mark

Doncaster 15:55: Girl From Ipanema 1pt win 14/1

Girl From Ipanema showed some promise on both starts as a two-year-old and she built on that at Newbury on her first start at three with a performance that was far more encouraging than the 14½-length defeat suggests.

She raced extremely keenly under restraint through the first couple of furlongs before she started to settle better towards the back of the field. She made some headway to track the leaders with three furlongs to go and was still travelling strongly before being pushed along two furlongs out. She couldn't go with the leading pair and had very little left in the final furlong and was eased accordingly.

The manner in which Girl From Ipanema travelled through the race was notable and it was understandable that she dropped away quickly late on having raced so keenly early on. A hood goes on for the first time today, which hopefully will cause her to relax better early on, and she's likely to have a good pace to try to settle off now down in trip to seven furlongs.

There is a concern that she might just be a weak finisher and that she ideally wants a further slight drop back in trip but 60 looks a potentially lenient opening mark given how she's travelled through races and any 10/1 or bigger appeals.

Far more promise than result suggests last time

Wexford 17:15: Timeaday 0.5pt e/w 20/1

Timeaday failed to win in six starts in Irish points and was beaten 34 lengths on her first start under rules at Gowran in March but she shaped much better than that would suggest and I think the market has underestimated her chance.

The six-year-old showed promise in points when finishing behind a number of subsequent hurdle winners and she returned to the track after just over a year off at Gowran in extremely testing conditions. Having initially set off handy, she gradually dropped back through the field and raced at the head of the chasing pack halfway down the back straight.

She made smooth headway leaving the back straight and made up a lot of ground on the leading pair on the run to 2 out to be only about two lengths behind the leader jumping that hurdle. However, she got in close and came under pressure soon after and soon dropped away to finish a well-beaten third.

The winner, Could Be Trouble, has since moved to Donald McCain and won both starts over hurdles for him while the runner up, Notalossla, is now rated 101 over hurdles.

A tongue tie goes on today, which may suggest that Timeaday a breathing problem at Gowran and she's since had a wind op. That could allow her to finish off her race stronger, something that was also a problem in points, although there is always the concern with horses by Scorpion that they are just very soft under pressure.

Although she's never run on ground this quick, her action doesn't suggest that she needs soft ground and any 14/1 or bigger appeals.

Drop back in trip to suit

Beverley 18:23: Monaadhil 1pt win 20/1

Monaadhil's rating has gradually been on the slide since joining Ruth Carr from Marcus Tregoning but I think that decline could be arrested this evening as he drops back to race over shorter than a mile for the first time for this yard.

His first sign of promise for this yard came last July at Pontefract when he travelled well for a long way before having his path blocked turning the final bend and early in the straight before finishing sixth behind wide-margin winner, Striding Edge.

The seven-year-old ran badly after that at Ripon but showed some promise on his final three starts of last year. He was drawn widest of the twelve runner at Wolverhampton on his next start and was dropped out in last to get across to the rail. He was still in last turning into the home straight before running on once getting a clear run to finish fourth.

Monaadhill was drawn second widest of the thirteen runners at Chelmsford next time and raced a bit keenly under restraint towards the back of the field early on. He was angled out and started to make ground towards the end of the back straight. This continued on the bend with him racing three wide around it before the effort of making such a move wide on a bend took its toll in the final furlong.

He was unlucky with the draw yet again on his final start of the year ay Wolverhampton when drawn second widest of the ten runners and raced in second last early on. He travelled well turning the final bend but had to wait for a run and came under pressure early in the home straight. He briefly moved into third a furlong out before fading into fifth.

He then returned to the turf for his first start of this year last month and shaped with some promise. He was dropped out in last and raced quite keenly early on. Pushed along around three furlongs out, he made some headway without ever challenging the leaders to finish sixth.

Monaadhil was dropped 3lb for that which looks quite generous and he's now rated 24lb lower than when he joined Ruth Carr. In the majority of his races, he's looked in need of a shorter trip and being ridden a bit handier over that shorter trip.

He's also got better luck with the draw today than on his last three starts of last year and he should have at least a fairly good pace to help him settle better early on.

It may turn out that he's just not as good as he was and that he has a physical issue which causes him to not see out races too strongly but I think he's finally got more suitable circumstances that give him a chance to bounce back so any 14/1 or bigger appeals.