Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies 80/1 hurdling debutant at Ayr

• Showed some ability in bumpers

• Not an overly deep race for hurdling debut

• River Ayr is overpriced at Ayr

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Ayr - 12:50 - Back River Ayr

Division two of the maiden hurdle at Ayr looks by far the weaker of the divisions. Esprit Du Potier is the odds-on favourite and could be too classy for this field but there's a hurdling newcomer at a big price who I think could run better than the market expects.

River Ayr had two starts in bumpers at this track and shaped with some promise on both occasions. On his debut, he was the only one to put up a challenge to Coniston George as the pair pulled clear of their rivals in the closing stages but he wasn't quite good enough to beat that rival.

On his second start in a bumper on Scottish Grand National day, he came up against a good field and after racing prominently, he briefly went to the front early in the home straight. He couldn't go with the leaders from two furlongs out and faded to finish eighth.

The way that River Ayr travelled for a long way in those races suggests that he has some ability and hopefully they will look to ride him prominently again on his hurdling debut.

There is the obvious unknown over how he will jump and it might be that he wants better ground but there's not much depth in quality to this race and any 40/141.00 or bigger appeals.

Read Daryl Carter's Monday tips here.