Dave Nevison's Wednesday tips: selections at Warwick and Kempton

Murphy’s Milan might be the value bet in what is quite an interesting staying handicap hurdle. The Philip Hobbs and Johnson White combination upset some better-fancied rivals with a lightly-raced stayer at Cheltenham on Saturday, and this six-year-old has been promising better for some time now. 

The selection was placed in a bumper on debut plus just missed the frame in a couple of hurdle races over a trip too short last season. 

He returned from a break over 2m3½f at Chepstow last time out where he ran an eye-catching race plus certainly shaped as though he was ready for the step up to three miles-plus. 

The softer ground here should suit him better, and with a hood applied for the first time, I think we might see a much-improved performance now. 

Kykorock won his only start in a point-to-point and has, unsurprisingly, been switched to chasing early under rules. 

This is also his handicap debut after just three outings over hurdles, and it looks another excellent bit of placing by Dan Skelton, who is happy to run his charge off top weight in this 0-100 handicap. 

I imagine two miles may not be his ideal distance in time, but if Skelton is happy to unleash him over the minimum trip, he might well be thinking he can preserve what is likely to be a favourable mark for longer. 

The two rivals First Principle defeated last time our re-oppose here on slightly more favourable terms, but I am happy to side with the William Haggas-trained gelding to confirm the form. 

The three-year-old is lightly raced compared to his rivals but has already shown a positive attitude to his racing by scoring three times from five starts. 

He will be ridden prominently in a race that may lack pace, and therefore might find himself in a better position than some rivals, who prefer to challenge late. 

This uncomplicated gelding could not be in better form, and can strike again.