Rhys Williams' Tuesday Racing Tips: Speedy Requiems to bounce back

More promise than finishing positions suggest

Thirsk 17:10: Requiems Dream 1pt win 12/1

Requiems Dream was set to be a selection in this column on her last run before the price collapsed early morning.

She finished sixth that day but had a clear excuse for the run. She was awkwardly away, then got squeezed out of a position early on and that left her much further back than I expect would have been the plan. She could never get competitive and was beaten 6½ lengths.

She's been dropped 3lb for that run, which I think can be easily ignored given the poor start, and she ran well on her previous start at Musselburgh off a 5lb higher mark.

That was only her second run for Paul Midgley and it came after a 290-day absence. Drawn in stall one, she managed to head the very speedy Dapper Man down the middle of the track early on and was a length in front with two furlongs to go. She came under pressure just over a furlong out and shifted right before dropping away to finish 7¾ lengths behind in twelfth.

She was one of only four to race down the middle from the start. Good Luck Fox, who finished best of those four in third, won two starts later and is now rated 4lb higher. Dapper Man and Ventura Flame, who were the other two in the group, both won off a 2lb lower mark next time.

This suggests that the middle may not have been the place to be so Requiems Dream's performance can be upgraded for that and that she set a very strong pace.

It's worrying that she's drifted right and not found much under pressure in both starts this season and she could face some pressure up front today with plenty that can race handily in this field.

However, she may be the speed of the speed and the cheekpieces go on for the first time which could help her to find more in the closing stages so any 9/1 or bigger appeals.

Opposite end of the pace spectrum

Thirsk 17:10: Debawtry 1pt win 15/2

While Requiems Dream is likely to go off very quick, Debawtry is the opposite particularly given she can be slowly away.

That was the case two starts ago at Beverley when she could go never get competitive on ground that may have been softer than ideal for her.

She broke much better last time at Newcastle when racing over six furlongs but it was no surprise that she faded away in the final furlongs to finish 6½ lengths behind in sixth.

I think her ideal scenario is to close late and she almost managed to win under those circumstances at Beverley three starts ago when beaten a head into third. She was arguably a bit unfortunate that day too as she didn't get a completely clear run and had to be switched off the rail in the closing stages to make her challenge. She finished a short head behind Van Gerwen who she's now 3lb better off with and is a bigger price than that rival.

The potential for a strong pace is ideal for Debawtry to execute those late closing tactics and she's shown her effectiveness at this track with two narrow defeats over five and six furlongs.

The obvious concern is that she's not the easiest to win with and she's relying on luck in running with those tactics so Harrison Shaw will need to work his way through the wall of horses in front of him.

However, she's back on the ground that she wants and may be able to get a clear run towards the near side given she's drawn in stall nine. Any 13/2 or bigger appeals.

Potential for improvement dropped down in trip

Beverley 19:40: Val De Travers 0.5pt win 30/1

Yukon Mission, Ava Go Joe and Motorious set a fair standard for the others to aim at in this five-furlong maiden. The second and third-named have more potential to improve than Yukon Mission but there's another runner in the field whose promise I think has been somewhat overlooked by the market.

Val De Travers raced extremely keenly under restraint on debut at Doncaster and stumbled early on. He was angled towards the near side at halfway and raced very greenly with no cover. He closed a little when given a crack two furlongs out but continued to look clueless and dropped away in the end to finish tenth.

Far different tactics were used last time at Redcar when he was allowed to stride on early and take the lead. Despite being restrained in front, he opened up a clear advantage on the field at halfway and had most of the field under pressure. He was starting to be pushed along with about 1½ furlongs to go when he lost his footing slightly and was then joined for the lead a furlong out. He didn't have much left after that and faded away, while still showing some inexperience, to be beaten 5¼ lengths.

The speed he showed that day suggests that the drop back to five furlongs will suit and the application of a hood may help him to settle a bit better, although I'm still hoping they still look to ride him prominently.

The stiff track is a concern given how weakly he's finished and it might be that the hood causes him to switch off too much for the drop back to five furlongs.

Val De Travers has to improve on the bare form to be competitive but he's shown more promise than that bare form suggests and any 16/1 or bigger appeals.