Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams' 16/1 NAP is a course winner at Chepstow

First time visor to bring improvement

Chepstow 19:15: Port Noir 1pt win 16/1

Port Noir was well held when last seen over C&D but she was never travelling from an early stage that day and I'm hoping the first time visor can see her return to a better level of form.

She ran well three starts ago over C&D when finishing fourth behind Macs Dilemma. Having been drawn towards the far side, she was dropped out and angled across to the near side group and was at the back of that pack at halfway. Pushed along with two furlongs to go, she gradually made headway despite being a bit tight for room and was beaten 1¼ lengths.

The winner has since won off a 4lb higher mark while the third won off the same mark two starts later.

Port Noir ran ok next time up in trip to seven furlongs at Wolverhampton. She wasn't too well away and was pushed along early to race in midfield. She closed into contention in the home straight but couldn't sustain that effort in the final half furlong and finished sixth.

It's easy to excuse her latest run over today's C&D as she wasn't travelling at an early stage and dropped back into last before making some late headway.

I'm hoping the application of a visor for the first time results in Port Noir travelling better through the early stages, possibly to the extent that she's able to race handily. She has done that on occasions in the past and there's not much early pace in this race so that could leave him in advantageous position if playing out that way.

I also think it's a positive that she has plenty of course experience as the undulations of this track can catch horses out.

It may turn out that the headgear has no impact or that this grade is a bit too tough for her but I think the market has overreacted to the margin Port Noir was beaten by last time and any 12/1 or bigger appeals.