Cheltenham Festival Tips: Rhys Williams fancies 16/1 Harbour to be king in the Pertemps

• Good record fresh

• Ground drying out to suit

• Harbour Lake is overpriced in the Pertemps Final

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Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle - Back Harbour Lake

Harbour Lake is set to be part of a very small team that Alan King is sending to the Cheltenham Festival and I think he could run well in the Pertemps Final with the ground looking likely to dry out in his favour.

After finishing placed on his first two starts over three miles, he was a fairly comfortable winner on his first start for 182 days at Aintree in November. He travelled strongly through the race on the inside and easily made up ground to join the leaders once angled out to make his challenge in the home straight. He made a mistake and landed a bit awkwardly at the last but found plenty when asked for his effort to beat Guard The Moon.

Harbour Lake was beaten last time at Market Rasen after once again travelling strongly before not picking up quite as well as he did at Aintree with the soft ground not being ideal for him. The forecast dry spell is a positive for his chance as he goes well on better ground and it's clear that this has specifically been the plan since the defeat at Market Rasen.

While there seemed to be an intention to have a prep run, Harbour Lake's record when fresh suggests that it's no bad thing that he will be coming into this race on the back of a 106-day break. His wins at Aintree and Market Rasen were after absences of over 180 days and his only poor run after a break was on testing ground over fences at Aintree so that is easily forgiven.

It may be that he's vulnerable to younger legs as he will be one of the oldest in the field but I think he could still have more to offer over this trip. Any 16/117.00 or bigger appeals in the NRNB market. 

Now read Katie Midwinter's Cheltenham Festival handicap tips