Boxing Day tips: Dave Nevison has four selections after 12-1 winner

He’s my big-priced fancy for Boxing Day although I am a little nervous about putting up one up I fancy each-way in a dead eight-runner race a couple of days beforehand. 

Hopefully, they all stand their ground and Kinondo Kweto is in the same sort of form that has seen him win three handicaps off a mark just a 1lb lower than here. 

He has also run well off marks in the mid 140s but has the look of a horse being handicapped on his recent runs. 

It may well be this prestigious event has been his midwinter target and if he is ridden a bit closer to the pace, then he may well close into the places up the punishing Wetherby home straight.   

Fortunate Man was a big drifter when I put him up off top weight on his seasonal/chasing debut two starts ago and ran very much as though the race was needed. 

If I hadn’t backed him, I would have been very pleased with the introduction, and he showed the benefit of that considerate handling on his latest start when he was beaten just a short head in another Carlisle event. 

Jonjo O’Neill has often introduced some of his most highly regarded chasers at Carlisle and while this five-year-old might not be top class he certainly looks as though he is going to be a decent staying handicapper. 

He is 4lb higher here but is progressive and jumps well, so must be fancied for this.  

American Sniper looks like another winner for Callum Pritchard here. 

He had too much use made of him from the front at Cheltenham last time and in a strong field he had nothing left to give at the business end of the race. 

He may well be the pacesetter here but if he goes a bit steadier, then the 2lb lower mark and Pritchard’s 7lb claim should mean he will have enough left in the tank to get home in this. 

David Pipe has had an excellent first half of this season and continues in top form.  

East India Express won’t be the generous 7/1 he was when scoring for followers of this column last Friday but if he has come out of the tough Ascot race OK he has probably even more going for him off the same mark here. 

Freddie Gordon is riding against professionals here, so can claim his full 5lb rather than the 3lb he was allowed against fellow Conditionals last week. 

The 2m5f trip suits him perfectly, so even though the margin of victory at Ascot was narrow he was always holding on from some very much in-form rivals. 

This meeting has been a Nicky Henderson benefit in days gone by and, while it is much tougher nowadays, he always has his team in top form for this.