Dave Nevison's Wednesday tips: three bets at Pontefract

There must be a chance that a couple of front runners will get into a battle for the lead in this Amateur Jockeys' Handicap, but even if they don’t go off too fast, Unplugged might well be best positioned to win this from stall three. 

The Michael and David Easterby-trained veteran is certainly in better form than he was able to show last time out when he met trouble in the home straight at Haydock, and wasn’t persevered with thereafter. 

He won over this course and distance prior to that, with Serena Brotherton on board, and is only 4lb higher in the weights now. A look back through Unplugged’s form shows that he and Brotherton could find their way around Pontefract blindfolded, and experience and class could see them record yet another course win on Wednesday.

Paul Midgley’s gelding has run two of his best races on turf recently over this course and distance, and might be overpriced in this very tight handicap. 

He has had excuses on his past two outings as he found the trip too far on his penultimate start, and a slowly run race wouldn’t have suited at Doncaster last time. 

He is a couple of pounds lower than when third over course and distance three starts ago and with reasonable prospects of this race being run at a decent pace here, he could stay on well enough to hit the frame, at least. 

Another Baar is reasonably consistent when he races over this trip, and it is surprising he doesn’t race over this distance more often. He ran well enough from a poor draw at York last time out plus also performed creditably here off a higher mark last season. 

Adrian Keatley’s gelding ran a brilliant race to finish second at Ayr on his penultimate outing and this race is probably the least competitive he contested for a while. 

He looks another who could run well at a decent price.