Dave Nevison Tuesday tips: best bets at Huntingdon

Dan Skelton is my “go to” trainer for getting wins out of decidedly modest performers in these low-grade handicaps, and I suspect the trainer is getting a little annoyed that as yet he hasn’t managed to get Bahtiyar to score.

Hopefully, that might change on Tuesday as I believe that the drop back down in trip could be the deciding factor.

Bahtiyar is a hard-pulling type who often struggles to settle, so the move up to real staying trips seemed an ambitious move, and it definitely hasn’t brought about improvement. 

Fingers crossed he settles better here and he only needs a slightly improved performance from his penultimate start (over 2f further where he made minor mistakes as he tired late on) to go close.

Catuaba has been running consistently well under her regular 7lb claiming rider recently, but unfortunately the jockey made a big mistake last time and hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. 

Easing down 100 yards from the line meant that Catuaba threw away a race he should have won, and got beat a head. The handicapper has treated him as a winner raising him 6lb, but his superiority last time suggests that was justified and under Jonathan Burke this time, hopefully Catuaba can compensate his connections and move on from the disappointment. 

Historically, this is the time of year the Charlie Longsdon yard hits form, and he had a winner at Uttoxeter on Sunday.

Call Me Arthur has shown improved form pretty much every time he has been stepped up in trip over hurdles and got off the mark in good style at Southwell in May. 

He was value for much more than the half-length margin as he idled up the run in, but was always going to do enough to win. He looks just the type to develop into a better staying chaser and Tom Lacey might well have found a good spot for Call Me Arthur to make his chasing debut giving weight to moderate rivals in this 0-100 handicap. 

If he gets into a rhythm with his jumping, the five-year-old should be able to outclass these before hopefully going on to better things.