Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams' NAP is a maiden at Pontefract

Promise of more to come on both starts

Pontefract 15:50: Levitate 1pt win 8/1

Soul Stopper is a short-priced favourite for this maiden but while he is proven over this distance on soft ground he did have everything go his way at Newmarket when able to control the pace.

I think he's unlikely to get such a luxury today with Levitate in the field and I think the market has underestimated that horse's chance. He made a promising start to his career at Bath over 1m2f when his inexperience showed.

He raced greenly and lost his place towards the end of the back straight and had to be driven along while racing wide on the bend before receiving a reminder entering the home straight. He initially ran around under pressure before staying on well, while edging left, to finish third. While the winner of that race hasn't won in five starts since, four of those have been on dirt and he ran respectably on his other start on turf.

Levitate's second start was on the all weather at Chelmsford and he went to the start at the off. He continued to hold the lead until headed by Nations Pride entering the home straight. Once again Levitate edged left under pressure but it was encouraging that he kept going well enough to hold second at the line.

There's nothing of the class of Nations Pride in this field and I think this stiffer track will be more to Levitate's liking than Chelmsford. He also still looked a bit green that day in front so hopefully he will have mentally progressed during the time off.

While he's unproven on the ground, his action offers encouragement that he will handle it and Jason Hart could have the opportunity to control the pace.

It may turn out that he doesn't want this ground or that he will be better over a longer trip but three of his rivals have to show they want this trip and ground and I think the market is underestimating his chance in a race that may not be as strong as it first appears. Any 7/1 or bigger appeals.

Eyecatching first run for new connections

Exeter 16:10: Carrigready 0.5pt win 30/1

Carrigready failed to get off the mark over fences in nine starts in Ireland but I think he has a better chance of doing so today than the market suggests.

He ran well off a mark of 104 when beaten half a length at Navan in September 2019 and never had the opportunity to run on good ground under rules after that.

He caught the eye on his first start for Brian Barr over hurdles at Taunton where he was held up in a detached last early on. He got further behind on the first circuit and was in a share of last of those still going turning down the back for the final time. He made headway going down the back and was driven along in a closing seventh turning out of the back straight. He had just moved into fifth, albeit still a long way behind the front four, when coming down at 2 out.

This was an eyecatching first run for new connections from Carrigready considering the amount of ground he made up on the back straight and I would hope that he isn't ridden with quite so much restraint today.

There is a concern that his jumping of fences was often sloppy in Ireland but I think he's a bit overpriced given his Taunton run showed he still retained some ability and any 25/1 or bigger appeals.