Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies a pair of 66/1 maiden hurdlers

Showed some ability on point debut

Uttoxeter 15:03: Thistle Do 0.5pt win 66/1

This is a weak maiden hurdle where those that have run over hurdles set a fairly low standard. Fenna's Loss won well on his first start for his new connections at Hexham but there are doubts over the strength of that race.

The other two runners are ex-British pointers. By far the shortest priced of this is Vokolohs who is having his first start for Olly Murphy. He travelled smoothly to the front at 2 out on debut at Edgcote and still looked the likely winner at the last but he wandered on the run in and was caught. He looks likely to be suited to the shorter trip but I think he's about the right price.

The horse that beat Vokolohs was Hilnamix. He had made his debut a month earlier at Mollington and was beaten 25 lengths. In that same race was Thistle Do who I think is overpriced today as he showed some ability that day. He raced keenly in front from the off and set a good pace. He was joined approaching 3 out as the front group of four started to go clear and dived at that fence. He came under pressure after and quickly dropped away before coming down at 2 out.

I thought the way Thistle Do travelled for a long way in that race suggests he has some ability and the hood going on today will hopefully result in him settling better early on. I also think that maiden was stronger than it may appear with reasons why the second and third haven't done as well under rules since.

It may be that Thistle Do will find this trip too far and needs a drop back to two miles to show his true ability or that he will need the run after a 459-day absence but he's too big in such a weak contest and any 33/1 or bigger appeals.

Promise shown in points since rules debut

Downpatrick 16:20: Drumlee Lake 0.5pt win 66/1

Drumlee Lake showed nothing on his debut over hurdles at Sligo but he's shown ability in the pointing field since that suggests he could run better than his big price suggests.

He ran in a Winner of Two on his first start in points and ran a bit better than the result suggests as he was only a few lengths behind the front three at the last before not being asked for much and then being eased late on. The winner of that race has since won a novice hurdle at Carlisle and is rated 116 over hurdles while the fifth has won two hunter chases since.

Drumlee Lake was pulled up early on next time but bounced back on his latest start at Tyrella when again showing more ability than the result suggests. Having been held up in last in a tightly grouped field, he made headway and went to the front with a good jump at 2 out. He was soon joined by Tareeshar and they pulled clear of the rest but once in the home straight, Drumlee Lake hung badly left and his jockey was unable to offer any encouragement as a result.

He's shown that he has ability but also clearly isn't straightforward as he wanted to go left after the last on his pointing debut too. That is a worry, particularly given this track and that he might take a sharp left to the near rail off the home bend, and it might be best for them to not try holding him up in last today now he's down in trip. Despite those concerns, the ability he's shown suggests that he can be competitive in a race without much depth and any 33/1 or bigger appeals.