Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams' NAP is in the Hunter Chase at Exeter

• Stiff 3m should be ideal

• Rivals coming off recent hard races

• Earl Of Desmond is overpriced w/o the fav at Exeter

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Exeter - 16:30 - Back Earl Of Desmond W/O Fav

Forest Chimes coming out of the Hunter Chase leaves just four runners and My Reprieve heads the market following two good runs in defeat since joining Tom Ellis. Rather than taking her on, I think there's an appealing angle in the without the favourite market.

Grand Roi is a very short-priced favourite in this market but he had a tough race in testing conditions at Stratford only eight days ago so there has to be a doubt over whether he will be at his best today. The same goes for Yippee Ki Yay who ran only nine days ago and finished last of four in very deep ground at Bangor. If he had been coming into this straight from the Chipley Park win then I would have been keen on him, particularly as he might get a relative soft lead, but again there has to be a doubt over whether he will turn up at his best given the short turnaround.

At the opposite end of the scale is Earl Of Desmond who is having his first start for 687 days and makes his stable debut for Henry Oliver. He looked a thorough stayer when racking up a hat-trick of wins in Irish points in testing ground back in early 2022 and followed that up with two good runs in defeat in Hunter Chases. A bad mistake at the last may have cost him victory when second to Its On The Line at Cork and I think the ground was quicker than ideal for him at Down Royal when second to Handy Headon.

The stiff three miles on soft ground around Exeter looks the ideal test for Earl Of Desmond if he's in the same form that he was when last seen and it might be that he is able to capitalise on some of his rivals not quite being at their best.

There is the obvious worry that whatever has kept him off the track will mean that he's no longer as good as he was and his trainer is having a quiet season but I think he's overpriced in this scenario and any 3/14.00 or bigger appeals.

Now Read: Mark Milligan's Tuesday tips here.