Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies French import on British debut at Fontwell

• Sets the standard on last run in France

• Looked the type to improve further

• Hors Jeu is overpriced at Fontwell

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Leopardstown - 12:00 - Back Kawaboomga

Kopek Des Bordes is the odds-on favourite for the opening maiden hurdle at Leopardstown following an impressive debut victory in a bumper at Fairyhouse. He beat some good horses with ease that day but the ground was far different to what he faces today and I have a slight doubt over whether he will be as imperious on it so I'm taking him on with a stablemate.

Kawaboomga started his career in France with Francois Nicolle and made a winning debut in an AQPS flat race at Limoges despite being trapped wide for much of the race and looking very green when asked for his effort in the closing stages.

Switched to hurdles for his second and latest start at Auteuil, he initially set off in midfield but his jumping lacked fluency in the first half of the race and that caused him to be at the back of the field turning down the back straight. He made headway to be at the back of the leading group of eight leaving the back straight and he continued that progress, jumping the last in a close third but he couldn't quite get to the leading pair.

The winner of that race, Karam Le Rouge, followed up next time before finishing second in a Listed hurdle while the runner up, Kamaro d'Huez, has won three of his next four starts over hurdles including a Grade 3 at Compiegne.

Given the ground that Kawaboomga conceded in the early stages with novicey jumping, this was a very good hurdling debut and I would hope that his jumping will be slicker from the off today so he has the potential to take a step forward from a performance that is already of a high standard. There is a slight concern that this trip could be a little on the sharp side for him given how he has finished off his two starts but I think he should be closer to the favourite in the market given what he's already achieved over hurdles and any 4/15.00 or bigger appeals.

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Sedgefield - 12:20 - Back Follow The Leader

I think this is a fairly weak maiden hurdle and I'm taking a chance on one at a big price who didn't even make it to the second obstacle on his sole start.

Follow The Leader made his debut in a maiden point at Charm Park when trained and owned by Anthony Ross. He set off in third last place but at the first fence he got in a bit close and landed very awkwardly and was pulled up.

The notable aspect from that debut with today in mind was that he was sent off third favourite at 11/4 behind Miami Magic, who contests the Grade 1 Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree today, and Daytime Dreaming who won a maiden hurdle at Southwell earlier this month.

For Follow The Leader to have been that close in the market against two horses who are better than the opposition he faces today suggests he could have some ability and they have found a decent opportunity for him for his rules debut.

Of course it could be that the market on debut was misleading and he doesn't have much ability or perhaps any ability he does have will come out further down the line as he physically and mentally matures and he has joined a yard with a low strike rate but given his price on debut I wouldn't be shocked if he has some ability and any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

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Fontwell - 12:32 - Back Hors Jeu

Andashan heads the market for this novices' hurdle. He ran to a good level in bumpers but failed to get past the first hurdle at Plumpton. Dance And Glance and Kalium have achieved a fairly good level over hurdles but it's a French import who sets the standard on hurdling form and I think he has a strong chance to make a successful British debut.

Hors Jeu finished a close fourth on debut at Angers for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille before getting off the mark with ease at Moulins. He was in stronger company at Auteuil last time and took another step forward despite being beaten. Hors Jeu's jumping wasn't too convincing early on and he only had two horses behind him turning down the back straight. He made some headway down the back straight but still had plenty in front of him after jumping three out. Hors Jeu made plenty of headway once turning into the home straight, despite not asked for much effort, and jumped the last in fourth before being asked for his effort but he couldn't quite catch Kirikou Des Mers. That horse wasn't beaten far in a Grade 3 next time while the third has since had Listed success.

Given the amount of ground that Hors Jeu had to make up to even get that close, I thought this was a good performance in defeat and one that suggested there could be more to come from Hors Jeu. As well as natural physical progression, that may also come today from the removal of the hood for the first time as he did seem to almost switch off too well at Auteuil.

Following that defeat at Auteuil, he was in a sale and was unsold at €300,000 but he ended up being bought privately around three months later and now makes his first start for Clive Boultbee-Brooks. There is the concern over whether he will be at his best on his first run for his new yard but if Hors Jeu can run to the level he did in France he looks to have a good chance to make a winning start for his new connections and any 4/15.00 or bigger appeals.

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Down Royal - 13:23 - Back On Lovers Walk

On Lovers Walk finished well behind some of these rivals last time but I think he has a better chance of reversing that form than his big price suggests.

He raced a bit keenly early on and attacked the first fence, which resulted in him nearly landing in front, but he was restrained and after gradually dropping back to midfield, he made an awful mistake at the third. His jumping didn't have the same fluency after that but he still managed to be in touch at four out before dropping away in the home straight.

On Lovers Walk also went without his usual tongue tie that day and it's back on today so that could lead to him finishing off the race stronger. I'm hoping they just let him roll in front and use his enthusiasm and attacking style of jumping as I think those tactics could lead to a better performance from him.

There is a concern over his general inconsistency and his jumping doesn't leave much margin for error but I think he could be better than he's shown in two starts for this yard and any 20/121.00 or bigger appeals.

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Kempton - 14:30 - Back Juntos Ganamos

When horses are moving between racing in Britain and France, the suitability of the different test for the horse is an important factor. This can see horses perform significantly above the previous level they achieved (e.g. Gold Tweet over hurdles in Britain) or significantly below it [e.g Thyme Hill and Al Boum Photo in France).

I think Juntos Ganamos has the potential to fit into the former category with the test that the King George provides looking likely to suit him. His jumping has let him down at times at Auteuil including when last seen in the Prix La Haye Jousselin. He went sharply out to the right at the Rail, Ditch and Fence and barely clambered over it and made another mistake at the next and his chance was gone.

Given that he's shown a tendency to go to the right at fences in the past, I think the switch to a right-handed track will suit and I think the British fences will be a more suitable jumping test for him too. He's tactically versatile and I think he could be the type to improve for tracking a good pace so while the bare form of his performances leaves him with something to find, there are reasons to think he could take a good step forward for the different test. Any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

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Down Royal - 14:33 - Back Dorking Cock

Its On The Line heads the market for this hunter chase as he makes his return to action. It may be that he will need the run a little and while he has a very capable jockey in the saddle, I think it has to be a slight negative that Derek O'Connor isn't available to ride him today as this horse isn't the easiest and he gave him some fine rides last season.

I'm taking him on with Dorking Cock who has had four starts over fences at Down Royal and has won once, finishing second on two occasions and third on the other. The victory came in this race when it was run over a shorter distance in 2021 and he was narrowly denied a follow up victory in 2022 when beaten a neck by Vaucelet when run over this trip. That defeat came after a 241-day break and he won his first start of last season after a 220-day break so this being his first run after an absence looks a positive for his chance.

He showed in May that he still retains ability when finishing a close third off 123 at this track and the ground is likely to be more in his favour than it is for some of his main rivals so while he may lack the class of Its On The Line when that rival is at his peak, I think he can run well and any 7/18.00 or bigger appeas.

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Leopardstown - 14:55 - Back Mr Saxobeat

For a handicap chase over this trip with a field of this size, this may not be overly strongly run and I'm hoping they will look to force the pace with Mr Saxobeat as he drops back in trip.

He's run well in defeat on both completed starts since a tongue tie was applied and he made the running on the first of those at Wexford over a little further before finding little late on. He initially made the running again at Punchestown two starts ago but was headed with a circuit to go. He continued to race handily and jumped back to the front at two out before wandering around approaching the last and he was caught by Watch The Weather.

I thought those runs suggested that the tongue tie had a positive impact on his performances, particularly as the ground was likely softer than ideal for him on both starts. He now gets the chance to race on better ground and very few of his rivals usually racing handily, I'm hoping Anna McGuinness will be looking to be positive on him from the off. Any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals.

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Down Royal - 15:08 - Back Strong Link

Theflyingking heads the market for the bumper at Down Royal. While it was a good effort from him to win on debut at Loughanmore, I wasn't sure that he looked a typical bumper type so, given the prices, I'm going to take him on with two other horses who started their careers in points.

Strong Link looked a non-stayer in points and when switched to the sharper test of a bumper last time at Navan, he put up a good performance in defeat. He raced in midfield for much of the race before being angled to the inside of the leading pack to make his challenge. He eased closer before being asked for his effort to try to challenge Whinney Hill but while Strong Link pulled clear of the rest, he couldn't quite get to that rival and was beaten 3½ lengths into second.

The winner had previously run well in a bumper while the third had run well in a bumper at Punchestown for his previous connections and has since run well in a maiden hurdle.

I think that performance sets the standard on bumper form in this race and the experience that Strong Link has could prove vital. Any 5/16.00 or bigger appeals.

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Down Royal - 15:08 - Back Mount Mason

The other horse of interest at the prices is Mount Mason who makes his first start for Oliver McKiernan having previously been trained by Josh Newman.

He made a promising start to his career when third in a warm maiden at Garthorpe and built on that when dead-heating for first at Charlton Horethorne when he probably should have won outright.

His final start in Britain came in a point bumper at Exeter when he travelled strongly in testing conditions but he still looked a bit green and couldn't hold off the challenge of Prophesea, who has since won over hurdles and is rated 120 in that sphere.

It is a bit concerning that a tongue tie goes on Mount Mason for the first time but I think he could improve for the better ground and combination of that and the ability he showed in those three starts suggests he could run better than his price suggests. Any 12/113.00 or bigger appeals.

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Now read Katie Midwinter's Boxing Day tips here.

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