Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies ex-pointer to score on rules debut at Huntingdon

• Travelled very strongly in point

• Not too deep a race for rules debut

• Reallyntruthfully is overpriced at Huntingdon

• Rachael Blackmore Serial Winners Fund at £205K - Read more here

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Huntingdon - 13:05 - Back Ned Cash

Ned Cash shaped with some promise in both starts in bumpers and I think he could run well at a big price on his hurdling debut at Huntingdon.

After finishing fifth on debut at Warwick on good ground, he returned from a 215-day absence in very testing conditions at Southwell. He travelled well for a long way before being unable to go with the leading pair late on in ground that looked on the soft side for him.

Ned Cash is back on better quick today and they have found a race without too much depth in quality for his hurdling debut. There is the obvious unknown over how he will jump and this might be another step on his education but I think he has the ability to be more competitive than his price suggests and any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

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Cork - 14:23 - Back Knockaneleigh Girl

Knockaneleigh Girl ran terribly when returning to racing under rules at Gowran last time but I'm hoping there will be a complete change of tactics today and that could see her take a big step forward from that.

She was held up and could never remotely get into contention that day. She's regularly been held up under rules which is a complete change from the way she's been ridden in points. She made the running on the first three starts of her career when with previous connections and she raced handily before taking up the running early on when winning by a wide margin two starts ago in a maiden.

It might be that she's one of those horses that doesn't transfer their point ability to under rules or that they will once again hold her up over this shorter trip, which likely wouldn't help, but I'm hoping they try something different today and try to race her more prominently and that could see her take a big step forward from last time. Any 12/113.00 or bigger appeals.

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Fairyhouse - 14:40 - Back Karl Des Tourelles

Karl Des Tourelles might still be too immature to handle the step up in class today but I think he has the ability to be more competitive than the market suggests in these very testing conditions.

He won on debut at Gowran in deep ground when staying on strongly to draw clear late on from a couple of decent rivals. He had a much tougher task last time against Intellotto and I think he ran well considering that race didn't pan out ideally for him and he still looked green. He raced in third for much of the race and his jumping wasn't as slick as his two main rivals. He was shaken along at various stages on the long run to two out as the pace gradually lifted and he was green after jumping two out. He looked like he would finish a comfortably held third at that point but he rallied well under pressure to take second near the line.

I don't think the small field and steady pace that day suited Karl Des Tourelles and the likely quicker tempo today can see him to better effect as he looks the type who will ideally want further than two miles. It may be that he doesn't quite have the class of today's rivals but I expect him to be staying on when a few of the more doubtful stayers are crying enough and he could pick up at least some of the pieces late on. Any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

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Huntingdon - 14:45 - Back Aquila Sky

This race is likely to be run at a good pace and that will suit the late closing Aquila Sky who is gradually coming back to form since returning from a two-year absence.

Back in 2021, he won a couple of handicap hurdles before making a promising chasing debut at Uttoxeter where he was still close up at the last until a bad mistake and awkward landing took away any chance he had.

After finishing sixth in a handicap hurdle at Aintree on his next start, he was off the track for 770 days before returning at Doncaster in December last year. He didn't show much that day but improved on that a little next time over a longer trip and again when switched to fences to Catterick last time. He couldn't get into a position to challenge Haston Clermont but ran on well to finish third on ground that would have been softer than ideal for him.

Aquila Sky is back on a more suitable surface this afternoon and the likely strong pace could set the race up ideally for him to close late. His jumping is a slight concern as it wasn't always too slick at Catterick but hopefully that won't be an issue today and any 8/19.00 or bigger appeals.

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Chepstow 15:10 - Back It's Easy

It's Easy finished last of four on his most recent start at Leicester but I think the drop to two miles didn't suit him that day and he can bounce back over a more suitable trip.

He was outpaced in the closing stages that day but kept battling on and was beaten eleven lengths by Royal Mer who has won again since.

Prior to that, It's Easy ran well at Huntingdon over 2m4f when finishing second behind King Of Brazil who beat one of today's rivals, Walkinthewoods, over this C&D last month.

It's Easy's jumping has been an issue on quite a few occasions but I'm hopeful that he will at least jump straight around Chepstow whereas there has to be a doubt over whether Bonza Boy will do that given his tendency to go right in the past.

If his jumping holds up, I think It's Easy could be more of a danger than the market currently suggests and any 9/25.50 or bigger appeals.

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Huntingdon 16:30 - Back Reallyntruthfully

An ex-British pointer who finished second on debut at Chaddesley Corbett heads the market but it's another horse for whom that applies who appeals at the prices.

While Country Mile was a bit unlucky after being hampered approaching two out, I don't think the form of that race would justify taking the current price about him. Reallyntruthfully, however, shaped like the most talented horse in the race when finishing second to Mahland with subsequent point and bumper winner Kingston James held when falling at two out. Reallyntruthfully was held up before gradually making headway down the back straight to be in a close third jumping three out. He cruised to the front at two out and quickened a few lengths clear approaching the last but Mahland rallied to catch him late on.

The way that Reallyntruthfully travelled through that race suggests that the test of a bumper should suit him and I think he shouldn't have a problem with the quicker ground today. It is a bit concerning that he's not been seen for 352 days but hopefully he will still retain the ability that he showed on debut and any 5/16.00 or bigger appeals.

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Now read Kevin Blake's Irish Grand National selection here.

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