Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams' NAP is a 9/1 maiden hurdler at Kilbeggan

Tongue tie and blinkers reapplied

Kilbeggan 16:25: Got Bright 1pt win w/o the favourite 9/1

Evergreen And Red is a very short-priced favourite for the opening maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan. Rather than take him on, I think there's a more attractive opportunity in the without the favourite market.

Zoom Tiger is favourite in that market and he's making his hurdling debut. He was rated 75 on the flat and presumably his price is a reflection of that but there's a horse with better flat form up against him who has some hurdling experience.

Got Bright started his career in France with Christophe Ferland and on his debut came up against the likes of future three-time Group race winner Mythico, future Group 1 runner up Botanik and Bouttemont, who won the all-weather Sprint Championship at Newcastle last week. Got Bright didn't progress on his next two starts but his form started to improve again when blinkers were applied. He won a weak maiden at Agen by a wide margin and followed that up with victory in a handicap at Toulouse, after which he was given a rating the equivalent of 93.

He got very warm beforehand on his next start at La Teste and ran disappointingly but he ran well on his final start in France at Toulouse when finishing third behind Pouvoir Royal who has since finished second in a Listed race.

Got Bright was bought for €70,000 after that and made his debut for Paul Nolan at Leopardstown over Christmas. He went without the tongue tie and any of the headgear he had worn in France and he stayed in touch to 2 out before dropping away very quickly.

He's since been given a 116-day break which suggests that something may have been amiss that day and the tongue tie and blinkers that he wore in France are now back on. He made the running in the headgear in France and that tactic is always a positive at this track so hopefully they will go back to using that having not raced prominently at Leopardstown.

It might be that he just won't transfer his flat ability to hurdling or that he will repeat his antics at La Teste and get very warm beforehand which won't help his chance but I think the market has overreacted to the Leopardstown run and any 7/1 or bigger appeals in the without market.