Dave Nevison's Thursday tips: "a good run looks very likely"
By Dave Nevison
Last Updated: Wed 15 Apr 2026
Betting expert Dave Nevison shares his three best bets from Ripon and Newmarket on Thursday, where the second day of the Betway Craven meeting can be watched live on Racing TV.
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3.45 Ripon: Kats Bob
Kats Bob was at his best in the first half of last year, winning five handicaps, and has begun this campaign with his best run for a good while.
He has edged down to a rating below the mark he won a really competitive handicap at York in June, and looks to have a good opportunity here. The five-year-old has never won at Ripon, but ran very well off a slightly higher mark twice here last summer.
With slow starters drawn on his inside, it looks as though he could easily get the lead and the far-side rail here and could make all. A good run looks very likely.
4.16 Ripon: Spoken Truth
After winning a Cork maiden for Dermot Weld, Spoken Truth went off 9-4 for a Group Three, but finished last, and his 2025 season had few, if any high spots after that.
However, being by Frankel out of a Dubawi mare, it looked as if he would be worth keeping faith with, and he might well prove another shrewd Horsewatchers purchase.
He ran really well off this mark when fourth on his first run for David O’Meara and he definitely looks a handicapper worth keeping in the notebook. I suspect that if things have gone well for Spoken Truth since that run, there might be a strong market move for him here.
5.20 Newmarket: Huscal
After two wins as a juvenile, Huscal didn’t manage to win a handicap last season, but showed enough on many occasions to suggest he will click off this sort of mark when things go right for him. Today looks a likely opportunity.
A big field with a red hot pace pretty much guaranteed looks an ideal scenario for this hold-up performer. He didn’t get going quick enough when we last saw Huscal at Kempton and hit traffic problems before going down by a neck.
Jason Watson won on him the last time they teamed up in a big field and will hopefully have no interference up the Rowley Mile. The seven-furlong trip is ideal and based on Tuesday’s results, at least a low draw was an advantage.
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