Dave Nevison: my Ayr and Fakenham tips and wishing you a happy new year!

Our pundit and resident website tipster Dave Nevison marks your card for the action from Fakenham and Ayr in his first column of the new year. Enjoy every moment live on Racing TV.

A Happy New Year to all who have supported my column and let’s hope we all have a good one in 2024! 

Things start off in fairly low key fashion after the excitement of Cheltenham, but a Fakenham winner pays out the same as one at the big tracks so hopefully these can kick start our New Year. 

It's a shame that there are not enough eight-runner handicaps to go at, but I think I am going to have to get my head around small fields this year.

Good luck all!

Felton Bellevue was raised 10lb rise for landing a modest handicap at Market Rasen a few years ago and has found it tough going to register another win, but he has been largely consistent in his efforts since and now races 1lb below that winning mark.

He races largely at the smaller southern tracks and will have no problems with Fakenham’s tight bends, while this marathon trip looks perfect. Gina Andrews riding against amateurs is another plus.

Young rider Ben Smith claimed just 3lb when guiding Follow Charlie into second last time but, in a race that is open to all jockeys, he can claim 10lb now and it looks like there is a chance both horse and rider could break their maiden here. 

Follow Charlie has improved with each run so far and was only beaten just over two lengths when runner-up last time. He's been dropped 1lb for that decent effort and it looks as though he will be suited by this step up in trip.

I feel he could be overpriced here. 

Ben Lily has an awkward head carriage and maybe doesn’t find as much as looks likely on occasions, but he climbed the handicap by 35lb on the Flat largely because he won his seven races by narrow margins and, bar a four-runner race at Doncaster, a feature of his victories was that they generally came on smaller, tighter tracks. 

He has been to Doncaster again and Chepstow recently and both are tough courses. It could just be that he is also better suited by tight tracks over jumps, and his hurdles wins have come at Wincanton and Newton Abbot. He might well enjoy Fakenham.