Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams has a trio of double-figure fancies at Punchestown

• Won with plenty in hand last time

• Been kept away from deep ground in winter

• Hands On is overpriced at Punchestown

Punchestown - 15:40 - Back Hands On

JP McManus has three runners in the opening handicap hurdle on day three of the Punchestown Festival and it's the biggest priced of the trio who appeals at the current prices.

Hands On has only had two starts in his career. On the first of those at Listowel, his inexperience was clear and he only got the idea of what he was supposed to be doing late on, running on well to finish fourth.

He took a step forward from that on his second start at Cork when winning with far more in hand than the winning margin suggests. He raced quite keenly through the first half of the race and his jumping wasn't too slick at times. He was hampered on landing at three out and had to be switched wide to try to get a run. He wasn't great at two out but under only fairly gentle encouragement he picked up well and easily got the better of his rivals late on without his rider having to ask him for too much.

The manner of this victory suggested that Hands On could have plenty more to come in the future and hopefully he will have mentally and physically matured in the 200 days that he's had off the track since his last run. Given his action, it might be that they were keeping him away from deep ground in the winter and the ground today looks to be in his favour. I expect he will also enjoy the likely strong pace in this race that he can settle off and close into late.

It may be that his inexperience will show in this big field, particularly in the jumping department, but I think Hands On could have much more to offer and any 9/110.00 or bigger appeals.

Punchestown - 15:40 - Back Sign From Above

Sign From Above is another in the opening contest who looks likely to benefit from the ground this afternoon.

When he was sent to Chepstow earlier in the season, I expect they were searching for better ground but torrential rain on the Friday meant the ground was very testing on the Saturday and he didn't quite see out the trip in those conditions.

Prior to that, he had beaten Antrim Coast at Navan when travelling strongly into contention before having enough left to see off the late challenge of that rival. Earlier in the season over today's C&D, he ran well in defeat when him and Extrapolation got into a battle and left themselves vulnerable to the late challenge of Barry Lyndon.

Sign From Above has run poorly on his last two starts but both of those were in very testing conditions, particularly last time at Gowran, and he was still in contention at this track two starts ago before fading late on.

After winning at Navan, Peter Fahey said that he thought a big field over two miles could be ideal for him and he gets that today. The strong pace and better ground should suit his strong travelling nature and hopefully that can allow him to bounce back from his recent efforts. Any 20/121.00 or bigger appeals.

Punchestown - 15:40 - Back Grappa Nonino

My final selection in the opening race is Grappa Nonino, who gets in as the second reserve.

I think the testing ground didn't suit him on his first two starts over hurdles and he improved from those when winning on much quicker ground at Navan, just getting the better of Media Naranja who he reopposes today on 17lb better terms.

Grappa Nonino finished fifth on his handicap hurdle debut at Ascot but that race didn't pan out ideally for him as got in a bit of scrimmaging early on and ended up racing very wide for much of the race. In those circumstances, I thought he did well to run as well as he did and that race has worked out well.

Since last seen over hurdles, Grappa Nonino has run seven times on the flat, winning two of those races and improving 12lb in the process.

He now returns from a 238-day break and is another who looks to have been kept away from deep ground over the winter. Hopefully that freshness will play in his favour and he can show the same improvement over hurdles that he has done on the flat.

There is a slight concern that he might ideally want to go left-handed as he did edge left at some of the hurdles at Ascot but hopefully he will kept on the inside of horses in this race and that can help to keep him jumping straight. Any 20/121.00 or bigger appeals.

Now read Daryl Carter's Thursday tips here.