Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies 14/1 hurdling debutant at Wetherby

• Ran well in good bumper last time

• Return to softer ground to suit on hurdling debut

• Anariza is overpriced at Wetherby

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Wetherby - 12:30 - Back Anariza

Anariza makes her hurdling debut in the opening mares' novices' hurdle at Wetherby and I think the market is underestimating her chance of making a winning start in this sphere.

She was a comfortable winner of a point bumper on her debut beating Zloty by eight lengths. That horse went on to finish second in another point bumper to It's Top who subsequently won a bumper at Chepstow.

Anariza was sent off joint favourite in a strong renewal of the Aintree point bumper on the back of her debut victory. She was given a very patient ride and gradually crept into contention in the home straight but she couldn't sustain her progress in the closing stages and finished fourth.

While the winner of that race disappointed on his only start since, the runner up was Miami Magic who has since finished second in a Grade 1 novices' hurdle while the fifth was Prophesea who is now rated 120 over hurdles.

I'm hoping that they won't be looking to ride Anariza quite so patiently today on her hurdling debut and I think the return to a softer surface will help her chance. There is the obvious unknown over how she will jump on hurdling debut but the ability she showed in her two starts in point bumpers suggests she can be more competitive in a race of this quality than the market suggests and any double-figure prices appeal.

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Leopardstown - 13:15 - Back Sporting Glory

Sporting Glory has to step up on what he's achieved in two starts over hurdles to be competitive in this race but I think he's another who will be suited by the return to soft ground and can run better than his big price suggests as a result.

He ran to a good level in three bumpers for Pat Fahy on soft or heavy ground before being chucked into a Grade 2 novice hurdle on hurdling debut at Fairyhouse and he ran well to finish fourth over a trip that looked on the sharp side for him.

Sporting Glory was subsequently bought for £120,000 to join Gordon Elliott and made a winning start for the yard with ease at Galway despite making a mistake at two out.

He was stepped up significantly in trip on his latest start at Thurles and ran quite well to finish third despite not always jumping too well and the ground being quicker than ideal for him.

I think the return to this softer surface will help him to improve on what he's shown so far and I'm hoping they might look to ride him a bit more patiently today given there could be plenty of competition for the early lead. It may be that he's not quite up to this level but I think he could run better than his big price suggests and any 20/121.00 or bigger appeals.

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Leopardstown - 16:05 - Back Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones returns to fences for the first time since the Punchestown Festival and I think he could run well at a big price.

His jumping let him down at Punchestown and the trip was too far for him which was also the case when finishing well beaten in a handicap chase over 2m5½f at this meeting last season.

Prior to that, he ran respectably in defeat in the Haldon Gold Cup and he had put together some good performances as a novice over similar distances to what he's racing over today.

It's encouraging that Indiana Jones' latest two starts over hurdles have been better than his three runs following the run at the Punchestown Festival which suggests he could be capable of returning to his best in this sphere.

There is a concern over his jumping and it may be that he's just a weak finisher over any trip but I think the market is underestimating his chance in a race of this nature and any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

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Wolverhampton - 19:10 - Back Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes hasn't been seen since finishing fifth on debut at Salisbury in May but I think the market is overlooking her potential to improve as she makes her debut for Jack Jones this evening.

She started her career with Ollie Sangster and was very slowly away and green in the early stages at Salisbury which left her a long way behind the leaders in last. She gradually got the idea of what she was supposed to be doing and made up plenty of ground in the second half of the race before her effort flattened out late on and she finished fifth.

Given how green she was, I thought Enola Holmes did well to finish as close to the winner as she did and looked to have the potential to take a significant step forward on her next start.

It is concerning that she hasn't been seen since and was picked up for only 1,600gns by Jack Jones but at least she is joining a good yard and this isn't a particularly strong race that she makes her stable debut in. Any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

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Now read Kevin Blake's Saturday tips here.

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