Dave Nevison's Saturday tips: best bets at Haydock and Ascot

Pertemps Swinton Hurdle day is the only mixed Flat and Jumps meeting in the calendar these days, and is a bit of a head spin given its place in each season, but hopefully I have found three that will go well at Haydock plus I also have a strong fancy making his debut for his new yard in the Victoria Cup at Ascot. Best of luck, and please remember to gamble responsibly.

Lucy Wadham has a rapidly improving hurdler on her hands who has really hit form this Spring, and can complete the hat-trick here. The five-year-old won at Cheltenham last time out in good style from Harbour Lake and, despite him being 4lb worse off with that rival, I fancy Zain Nights has more speed and improvement in him than that Alan King's charge. 

He was a useful and gradually improving stayer on the Flat when with the Charlton’s and has followed a similar path over hurdles for his new trainer. This valuable Pertemps Swinton Hurdle meeting has fallen just right for him, too. 

Gavin Sheehan takes over from Bryony Frost and hopefully won’t get in too much of a battle for the lead in a race full of front-runners.

This one looks like he has been laid out for this handicap on his first run for Charlie Fellowes, and many positive factors seemed to have aligned for his seasonal debut. 

The Wizard Of Eye has been gelded for this first start for the yard and has been dropped 6lb from his opening handicap mark plus it is to be hoped he will improve for that. 

He was thought good enough to run in the Lockinge last year by Stan Moore (his new trainer has already entered him for another Group One, so the six-year-old must be showing plenty) and although he fell well short, he didn't too badly plus has also performed with credit in other high-grade events. 

Tom Marquand looks a very strong jockey booking for his very much in-form yard, so there are plenty of changes that may bring about the small amount of improvement The Wizard Of Eye needs to go very close in this handicap.

Mereside Diva was a likeable sprint filly for the Barron‘s last season and scored on two occasions. She got up late to win both of those races and looked as though she would be well suited by a step up to 7f on both occasions. 

She was kept to 6f for her reappearance at Thirsk and was well backed to go close. It might well have happened as well, but she was stopped in her run inside the final furlong and had to be snatched up. 

Once again, she looked like a step up in trip would help and she gets this long overdue opportunity here. She has fared well with the draw and broke her maiden on fast ground, so she may well have plenty in her favour on Saturday. 

With that debut run behind her, she could well improve and it would not be a surprise if she attracted support again.

There was a negative rumour swirling around Cheltenham on the day of the Boodles Handicap that Joseph O’Brien’s runner wouldn’t cope with the prevailing ground but, fortunately, Lark In The Mornin hadn’t heard the rumour and absolutely bolted up, despite doubling from his morning odds. 

He was clearly laid out for that race and had a ton in hand, despite only eventually winning by two lengths. 

He has gone up 8lb for that success but he can probably improve past this new mark. He won on his debut on the Flat but only ran once more, so he is essentially a completely unexposed runner. 

He arguably hit the front too early last time, so it looks very much like this fast run two miles will suit him very well.

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