Dave Nevison: My top horse racing tips for Saturday

I have had a really good week, but the quest for the Saturday yankee goes on. The handicaps are certainly not easy and I have taken a look at Cartmel as well as Haydock to try and get a winner or two.

2.20 Haydock: Mahrajaan

This is a cracking handicap but looks another one that may go to a lightly-raced William Haggas improver.

Mahrajaan rattled up a short-priced hat-trick in minor events last summer, looking a useful performer. He confirmed that impression on his final start at York last October when third in a seriously strong handicap in which he didn’t get the very best of runs.

He is just 1lb higher and his pedigree is not that of a handicapper. It certainly does not look impossible that he will be running in Group races later in the summer and, given the stable form, it would be very surprising if he didn’t run well here.

4.05 Haydock: Alrehb

It wouldn’t be a weekend without me tipping up a Benoit De La Sayette handicapper and I am hoping the crack apprentice can steer this one home and make amends for an unexplained disappointing effort in the Victoria Cup last time.

Alrehb was well supported there on the back of very good efforts, including in a similar event over this course and distance where he came up against well backed improver and subsequent winner Boardman.

Alrehb is only a 1lb higher than that and should get a good pull into this race from pace horses either side of him. I have regularly extolled the value of the young jockey’s claim.

4.29 Cartmel: Oscar Wilde

I don’t know whether the tongue tie was applied for is two recent wins in points, but Oscar Wilde certainly seems to have been brought back to form since joining the Coltherds.

He lost his form completely with Sue Smith but a few years ago had been running well off marks around 117 and landed a handicap off 109. He now finds himself on a mark of 91 which puts down towards the bottom of the weights of this modest handicap.

He won’t win this judging by his latest Rules form, but if he brings his point form he is surely thrown in here and I would expect him to go close.

5.39 Cartmel: Tanora

This looks a real opportunity to break her maiden.

Tabora has only had two runs over fences, both times in Sedgefield handicaps, but has run well on both occasions and notably when beaten narrowly last time by one has improved since. She has reverted back to hurdles for her latest starts and has again performed creditably for the most part, but on her return to fences finds herself inexplicably 1lb lower than last time.

Jockey Lewis Stones is enjoying a rich vein of form at present and will ride Tanora with confidence here.