Friday tips: Dave Nevison's best bets at three meetings

Joshua Thompson has ridden this seven-year-old before, when Foster’sisland was a good second off a mark 5lb higher than he runs off here. 

The horse has won races since that 2023 effort but, more recently, has struggled for form. I am hopeful the change of jockey and lower mark can reinvigorate the Micky Hammond-trained gelding. 

Thompson can claim 8lb in this conditionals’ event, which will help even further, and although only seventh last time he was only beaten 12 lengths. The stable has had four winners this month and is going OK. 

Tara Iti is a bit of a Plumpton specialist and would probably be a short price if this seller was run at the Sussex venue, but he has also run well here at Fakenham and so I am prepared to ignore his latest effort here, which came under a 7lb claiming amateur. 

Freddie Mitchell rode him well to be second last time and keeps the ride. With his yard in strong form, I am taking Tara Iti to land his first handicap of the season. 

This lightly raced four-year-old missed much of the second half of 2023 but returned from his absence in very good form at the very end of the year. 

He was probably a little too fresh in a slowly run race on his first run but still ran a good second and showed the benefit of that comeback effort with a much more polished performance last time over Friday’s course and distance. 

He has gone up 7lb in the weights but looks one to be with in the short term and may well defy the attention of the handicapper.