Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies a C&D winner to bounce back to form at Cork

Promise on debut in well run race

Ascot 13:55: Hiatus 1pt win 20/1

Hiatus was beaten 6¼ lengths in fourth on debut at Chelmsford but he shaped better than that suggests and I think he could go well at a big price in this opening contest.

He was sent forward at the start and tracked the leader on the outside in a strongly run race. His inexperience showed as he had to be shaken along turning out of the back straight but he responded well and briefly moved into the lead with just under two furlongs to go. He looked green and ran around a bit under pressure before fading late on to finish fourth.

The horse who set the pace finished a well beaten last and he's since come back to run respectably at Yarmouth. The two who raced closest to them were the winner, True Statesman, who is now rated 91 and Liberation Bay who raced 1½ lengths ahead of Hiatus and is now rated 77.

Hiatus went very keenly to the start that day and his inexperience showed in the race so hopefully he will be more professional this afternoon and he looks likely to face far less pressure up front if they repeat those tactics. Any 16/1 or bigger appeals.

Returning to a more suitable distance

Cork 17:45: Coffeemeanscoffee 1pt e/w 14/1

Coffeemeanscoffee was a C&D winner last year off a 3lb lower mark than she races off today and after a slow start to this season I think she has a chance to bounce back today.

She followed up that win with two good runs in defeat at Navan and the Curragh off 52 and 54, finishing second on both occasions.

She finished tailed off on her first start this season at Gowran over seven furlongs and showed similarly little at the same track over a mile next time, the step up in trip looking a strange choice given her previous performances. She ran over that same C&D again last time and showed a bit more without ever being competitive in finishing eighth.

Coffeemeanscoffee has been held up in all three starts this season but now back down in trip I'm hopeful they will revert back to riding her prominently as those tactics looked far more suitable for her last year. She's been dropped 7lb for those three runs this season and her best form last season suggests she can go well off 48 today if back in the same form.

There is a concern that she can be slowly away which would hinder the chance of being able to carry out those tactics and there's always the worry of ending up in the wrong group in a big field sprint but I think she looks to have a good chance in a weak contest and any 10/1 or bigger appeals.