Punchestown Tuesday Tips: Rhys Williams has a 50/1 NAP on the opening day

• Shaped with more promise last time

• Change in tactics may help

• Annexation is overpriced at Punchestown

More encouraging signs last time

Punchestown 16:50: Annexation 0.5pt e/w 50/1

Annexation hasn't finished within ten lengths of the winner in his latest five starts over hurdles but after three poor runs, I thought there have been more encouraging signs of late.

At Leopardstown over the Christmas period, he was never in a position to challenge at any stage but he did make some headway early in the home straight before the effort flattened out late on in a race where it was difficult to make up ground from the back.

Once again, Annexation failed to ever look like challenging the winner on his latest start at Wexford but it was encouraging to see him finish off the race stronger than in his previous races.

Doyen Ta Win went clear early on and stayed there but Bythesametoken and Annexation came out of the chasing pack to finish clear of the rest and the former has since finished second to Afadil at Ayr.

Today's race may not be overly strongly run for a big field two-mile handicap hurdle so I'm hoping that they ride Annexation a bit handier as it could prove difficult to close from the back and he has been ridden much handier to victory in the past so he has shown that he has tactical versatility.

It might be that he's just not as good as he was or that he needs quick ground to show his best but I think the market has overlooked his chance a little and any 28/1 or bigger appeals.