Rhys Williams' Racing Tips: 6 Selections For Saturday
Horse racing expert Rhys Williams is sharing his best selections for today's racing.
Rhys has been a racing analyst for over 10 years, working for At The Races and most recently as a tipster for Betfair, where his tipping column had a 31% ROI over four and a half years.
He often focuses away from the front end of the market, finding angles that aren't evident to most.
Rhys' tips have returned 323.62 points from 188.5 points staked, meaning his profit and loss record stands at a whopping +135.12pts overall - thanks to a sensational recent spell that included Lamar Canyon's win at 150/1 last week.
Here are Rhys' tips for today, using the most up-to-date odds from the best horse racing betting sites.
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13:45 Worcester: Charity Barnum - 0.5pt Win @ 16/1
Charity Barnum hasn’t shown much over fences, but I think she’s capable of stepping up on that on her handicap debut.
She was still in touch with those at the back of the field when pulled up on chasing debut at Thurles, and she then finished well over an inadequate trip at Clonmel against some good quality opposition.
While her last run was disappointing, it was only six days after the Clonmel run - so that could easily have come too soon for her.
The ability she showed over hurdles suggests Charity Barnum can be competitive off this mark and this is a more suitable trip and track for her.
There is the concern that she’s coming from a small yard so maybe she’s just not as good as she was but she looks overpriced in a race of this quality and any 8/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 1: 13:45 Worcester: Charity Barnum - 0.5pt Win
14:05 Epsom: Princess Child - 0.5pt Win @ 8/1
The ever softening ground is in Princess Child’s favour and gives her a good chance of gaining another victory at this level.
She finished off last season with an excellent run at Longchamp at Group 2 level, when fourth behind Ridari and ran to a similar level at the Curragh over a mile earlier this season when just failing to catch Celestial Orbit.
She hasn’t built on that in two subsequent runs but both of those were on much quicker ground which I think was against Princess Child.
The run at the Curragh suggests this slightly longer trip should be no issue for her and she’s likely to have a good pace to close into.
Any 13/2 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 2: 14:05 Epsom: Princess Child - 0.5pt Win
15:15 Epsom: Betsen - 0.5pts Each-Way @ 33/1
Betsen won in lesser company last time but while this is a significant step back up in class for him, the class he showed earlier in his career when blinkers were fitted suggests he could be capable of running well at a big price.
He won on stable debut for Tony Carroll but his form was on the decline after a wind op until winning last time at Chepstow, which was the first time he ran over five furlongs for this yard.
I thought he won with more in hand than the margin suggests as he travelled strongly to the front and then only seemed to be doing enough after.
He hasn’t worn any headgear since joining Carroll but the blinkers are back on today.
Earlier in his career, Betsen ran very well in a soft ground handicap at the Curragh in blinkers and I’m hoping the refitting of them today can see him cope with the very sharp five furlongs even on this ground.
The likely strong pace could play to his late-closing strength and while he’s drawn in stall five, which likely leaves him away from the best ground, he’s also more likely to get a clear path from that draw.
It might be that bounce back to form last time was a false dawn and he’ll find it too tough on the return to a better level but he looks overpriced and any 16/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 3: 15:15 Epsom: Betsen - 0.5pts Each-Way
15:40 Punchestown: Jukebox Jolene - 0.5pt Win @ 100/1
It might be that those at the head of the market will be left to dominate this race from the off but there’s one at a huge price who I think could be more competitive than the market expects if given a chance with the tactics.
Jukebox Jolene hasn’t been seen since making her debut at Down Royal at the start of November where she showed some promise making late headway from the back of the field.
She was still travelling well but with only one rival behind her with five furlongs to go.
She could never get into a remotely challenging position but she made some eyecatching late headway while not being given a particularly hard time.
She was up against higher quality rivals than she faces today and I’m hopeful that she will have benefitted for that experience.
There is the obvious worry that similar tactics may once again be used but I think she has more talent than her price suggests and any 25/1 or bigger appeals.
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16:30 Hexham: Follow The Leader - 0.5pt Win @ 16/1
Follow The Leader showed little in three starts over hurdles in late 2024/early 2025, but he’s shown more in the pointing field since then and I think he has more ability than his opening mark of 83.
He still looked green when narrowly beaten on his return to the pointing field after over a year off at Tranwell and he duly built on that next time when getting off the mark.
He looked to take another step forward last time at Witton Castle when he couldn’t quite match Getupearly approaching the last and was beaten 2½ lengths while finishing clear of the rest.
Physically, Follow The Leader looks the type who needed time to fill his frame and he’s now a more complete horse than the one who contested maiden hurdles.
The application of the tongue tie and removal of the hood also seems to have helped his cause and they’ve got a very good booking for a race of this nature with James Murray being able to claim 7lb against fellow amateurs.
There is the slight worry that he could be one of those horses who is more suited to the pace of pointing than under rules and he will likely be at his best over fences and over a little further under rules.
However, I think he could have enough ability to get away with it over this test and any 8/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 5: 16:30 Hexham: Follow The Leader - 0.5pt Win
16:55 Punchestown: Rosenborg - 0.5pt Win @ 33/1
Rosenborg makes his rules debut in this maiden hurdle and I think he could run better than his big price suggests given the ability he showed in the pointing field.
He was a bit disappointing on debut at Dromahane when his jumping let him down and he dropped away at the end of the back straight.
He build on that last time when returning from five months off the track at Tattersalls Farm. He raced handily and jumped his way into a share of the lead at three out.
He was still going well approaching two out, but he made a mistake and didn’t see out the trip from that point, fading away into third.
The first two home have since been sold for six-figure sums and I expect will go off towards the head of the market when making their rules debuts.
The shorter trip and switch to hurdling looks likely to suit Rosenborg on the evidence of those two runs and this doesn’t look a particularly strong maiden hurdle.
It might turn out that today is more about focusing on taking another step along on his education but I think the market is underestimating him and any 14/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 6: 16:55 Punchestown: Rosenborg - 0.5pt Win
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