Dave Nevison's best bets for day one of The November Meeting

The two novice events this six-year-old was placed in last winter have proved to be very strong so a handicap mark of 113 looks quite generous and he should be spot on for this after a highly encouraging reappearance effort at Uttoxeter recently. 

As Legends Have It’s dam was rated 137 over hurdles (even higher over fences) so he has some way to go to match here, but with trainer Ben Pauling having his team in excellent form the signs are positive. 

Cheekpieces going on for the first time after four placed efforts over hurdles look another positive move and the booking of the excellent Callum Pritchard looks the icing on the cake. It is difficult to see this horse not going well off bottom weight. 

Gunsight Ridge goes well fresh and might have won, or at leasy gone close, in two of his latest comeback runs but unfortunately, he ended up on the floor. 

It is possibly a bit alarming that he forgets how to jump after a break but I am hoping those glitches are coincidental and, if so, he has a great chance here against some declining veteran rivals. 

The forecast fast pace should play to the strength of Olly Murpy’s charge, who can sit just in behind his front running rivals and enable Sean Bowen to deliver him at the perfect time. Gunsight Ridge might do well now that he is eligible for these veterans’ races. 

The eye is drawn to the top and bottom weight in this difficult handicap. 

Tony Martin’s Cesarewitch winner Alphonse De Grande could be thrown in but his jumping has been desperately bad in three runs over hurdles and it will need to have improved massively for him to handle a big field competitive handicap such as this. 

By contrast, Fortune De Mer is clearly a talented hurdler having won a Grade Two event at the October meeting here and his experience and proven ability to jump can enable him to defy top weight. 

It looks an inspired bit of placing by Dan Skelton to run a Grade Two winner next time out in a handicap off 12st and the boldness can be rewarded.