Dave Nevison: my best Boxing Day bets

Barlovento has been given plenty of time to get over a tough race on his seasonal appearance at Exeter where he hung badly right after the last, but still managed to run today’s top weight U Cant Be Serious to half a length.

Olly Murphy’s charge is 7lb better off with that horse, who has gone in again since, and he has a good chance of turning the form around.

That Exeter run was Barlovento’s first run over fences and he is definitely entitled to improve for the run, plus this slightly longer trip looks set to suit him better.

Jack Tudor did me a big favour on 10-1 shot Deep Cave just before Christmas, so I am hoping he can do me another one taking over from Sean Bowen on Indeevar Bleu here. This seven-year-old is lightly-raced, but has shown plenty of promise and ability since winning a bumper on debut.

He reappeared in the Gerry Fielden recently and ran really well in that noteworthy event, looking very much as though he would do better once stepped up in trip.

Indeevar Bleu gets the extra half a mile here which obviously gives him the chance to use his stamina more and will likely negate the 3lb he has been raised for his encouraging Newbury return. 

Fortunate Man won this corresponding race last season, showing a good aptitude for jumping fences at one of the stiffest tracks in the country

He ran well after that, but without perhaps progressing as well as many had hoped, and then disappointed when tried in blinkers on his final start. I feel that getting hampered early on in that race may have unsettled him and he has been dropped 2lb for that run. 

With another season behind him, he may still have plenty of upside over fences and he worth giving another chance to do better this season at a track and trip he has previously handled well. 

Given that the only other potential front runner in this race comes from the same yard, it seems very likely that, if desired, Onewaywest will be able to get to the front and dictate matters here.

Ben Pauling’s six-year-old broke his maiden in a conditional jockeys event at Warwick in November, bolting up by 12 lengths and then followed up in similar style at Wetherby where he didn’t carry a penalty.

He clearly gets on well with Elliott England, who is on board again, claiming 7lb. He is 9lb higher in the weights here, but the way he has won his last two races suggests to me he is still well in.