Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies Puddles to make a splash at Newton Abbot

• Good runs since cheekpieces applied

• Likely strong pace to suit

• Puddlesinthepark is overpriced at Newton Abbot

Newton Abbot - 14:10 - Back Puddlesinthepark

Plenty in the opening Handicap Chase at Newton Abbot tend to make the running or race very prominently and that is likely to lead to this race being strongly run.

One of very few who tends to come from off the pace is Puddlesinthepark and I think this race could set up ideally for him to gain his first win over fences. Cheekpieces have been applied for his last two starts and he's run well on both occasions, finishing a close second at Chepstow before being beaten two lengths by Lightonthewing over C&D last time.

I'm expecting the race today to set up more suitably for Puddlesinthepark while Lightonthewing is likely to have to work much harder in the first half of the race if the plan is to be race prominently again and that could see Puddlesinthepark be able to reverse that form.

It might be that Puddlesinthepark isn't the heartiest in a battle but I think he'll appreciate horses coming back to him late on in this contest and any 5/16.00 or bigger appeals.

Now read Daryl Carter's Wednesday tips here