Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies 40/1 mare to spring a surprise at Tramore

• Late starter shown some promise

• Found a weak race for hurdling debut

• Julie Liath is overpriced at Tramore

Tramore - 18:45 - Back Julie Liath

Julie Liath was a very late starter to racing having made her debut as a ten-year-old in March this year but she's shown a level of ability that suggests she could run better than her big price suggests in this mares' maiden hurdle.

She showed some promise in points, most notably in the Mares Final when she raced too keenly but was still in contention for a place when coming down at the last and that was only a week after her debut.

They continued the pattern of quick turnarounds between Julie Liath's final point run and her run in a mares' point bumper at Tipperary last time. She lacked the necessary speed for that test and was the first to come under any pressure leaving the back straight but she kept responding to finish sixth. The mare who dead-heated with her for that position has since been beaten under five lengths in a bumper while Sing My Story repeated her late headway style when finishing fourth in a bumper last night.

I'm hoping that they will look to ride Julie Liath a bit handier this evening and there is a positive jockey switch with John Shinnick taking over from amateur jockey, Evan Daly. They have also found a race lacking strength in depth for her hurdling debut with many of her rivals having questions to answer on various fronts. Given that Julie Liath has taken so long to get to the track, I'm hopeful she isn't going to be campaigned with handicaps in mind and any 20/121.00 or bigger appeals.

Tramore - 20:30 - Back Mollys Dolly

Mollys Dolly has finished tailed off in her last two starts but both of those were over hurdles on heavy ground and I'm hopeful she can bounce back on better ground on her return to the bumper sphere.

She made a promising debut when not beaten far into sixth at Naas on good to yielding ground behind Carrigmoornaspruce who has gone on to win a Grade 3 bumper at the Punchestown Festival.

Mollys Dolly ran over today's C&D on her next start but the ground was much softer than on debut and she dropped away late on. Given that a tongue tie goes on for the first time today, I wonder if she has had a wind op since her last run and the combination of those two factors and the better ground today could see her in a much better light than has been the case of late.

It could be that she's just not the mare she was last year and maybe Love Me Tender will be a class above these on her debut but I think Mollys Dolly is overpriced given her potential to bounce back and the overall quality of this race. Any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals. 

Now read Sam Turner's Friday tips here.