Dave Nevison's Wednesday tips: best bets at Salisbury

Guiteau clearly lost his form after he won on his first start in 2024, and had dropped over a stone in the handicap ahead of his return for his new trainer, Faye Bramley, at Chepstow last week. 

He had clearly been showing plenty for his new yard as he was sent off the well-supported 11-10 favourite for that small-field affair. The five-year-old lost by a short head, but if he shows the same form here in this even lower grade, he will probably make amends, and get the cash back for his supporters.

Simon Walker is still the go-to jockey for many in these amateur rider contests, and has won on four of his past 20 mounts. 

The worry for Guiteau is the bounce factor, and this run coming too quickly, but he ran a very good race just seven days after he won last year, so the hope is he can back that good run up here. This trip is also perfect for him.

This is the time of year to back lightly-raced three-year-olds when they compete against modest, and exposed, older rivals, and Uncle Simon looks another with a strong chance here, despite a wide draw. 

Jack Morland’s charge appears happier on turf, rather than the all-weather, and produced a career best on his handicap debut on turf last time out. 

He was third at Redcar in a 0-65 handicap and runs in the same grade just three days later here, so if he is in the same form, he has a good chance of breaking his maiden. 

Bouboule will no doubt be campaigned as a juvenile hurdler in the double green colours this Autumn, but this gelding was improving steadily for the Kubler yard, and I am pretty sure that Harry Derham will get him to win a flat handicap before he switches codes. 

Derham’s record with recruits from other stables is outstanding, and the booking of William Buick for Bouboule’s first run for Derham is certainly not going to make his price any bigger, but even without those factors, I would fancy him to break his maiden stepping up to 1m6f.