Dave Nevison: My top horse racing tips for Taunton

1.50 Taunton: Muy Bien

He has definitely been brought along with staying handicap hurdles in mind, and an opening mark of 95 looks manageable now that he is upped three furlongs in trip.

Muy Bien was 100/1 last time but stayed on noticeably in the straight for third behind an odds-on shot and he certainly looks to have a future. His family don’t really hit top form until they go over three miles or further, but this is not a strong race.

Muy Bien has shown he can handle the tight bends of Taunton on this sort of ground so it seems pretty certain improvement will come. Kevin Brogan is perhaps surprisingly still claiming a very valuable 3lbs.

3.35 Taunton: Dr T J Eckleburg

My eyes are immediately drawn to him at the bottom of this handicap and I feel pretty strongly that he is the best horse in this race.

Backing four-year-olds in all-aged handicaps hasn’t been a profitable approach but Dr T J Eckleburg could have been seriously underestimated after he won without coming off the bridle at Ludlow last time out. He was also on the up on the Flat in the autumn, winning a handicap at Ayr on his latest start.

Dr T J Eckleburg is in the market for the Boodles at Cheltenham (as well as the Triumph, but that looks a stretch) yet he will have to go up in the weights to get into that Festival handicap. This looks an ideal opportunity to do so.

4.10 Taunton: Bold Conduct

He cost £150k as a four-year-old after winning an Irish point-to-point and starts off in chases at a very low level here despite carrying top weight.

Bold Conduct signalled he had a future last time over hurdles when third behind two useful young stayers, only fading between the last two flights and still finishing in front of a next-time out winner.

His brother Speedy Cargo didn’t win a point nor over hurdles but did well when switched to fences, and Bold Conduct is making the switch earlier in his career which looks a smart move. He looks a better version in any case and, if taking to fences as expected, should beat this modest lot.