Horse racing tips: three for Nottingham and Huntingdon

There are one or two lightly-raced types here who might improve significantly now they are handicapping proper and I am very hopeful that Carpathian may well be the best of them. 

This filly wasn’t knocked about in three runs last season, finishing closer with each start even though she was unplaced in all of them. The three-year-old then stepped up again on her reappearance after six months off when finishing third over a mile at Kempton Park earlier this month. 

Carpathian is related to solid stayers and is set to improve again over these extra two furlongs and from a mark of 69 that looks very workable. Saffie Osborne takes over too and the bang in-form rider will be no hindrance to her chances.

Calvic struck narrowly but cosily over this course and distance on his penultimate start and this course regular and is only 3lbs higher now.

Trainer Stuart Edmunds tried the seven-year-old over three miles last time but it seemed to be a mistake as, even though Calvic got hampered and certainly didn’t have the run of the race, it looked pretty conclusive that he didn’t get the trip. 

Calvic looks likely to do well for this yard over the summer and could get back to winning form here.

Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole have had a couple of winners across Flat and Jumps codes and have their string in very good form. 

Planet Legend came very close to adding to the stable's run of success here last time out when getting beaten by just a neck and only when headed close home. He was returning to hurdles after a couple of runs on the all-weather and the five-year-old jumped better than he had previously, looking as though he had been well schooled. The blinkers were substituted just for the cheekpieces last time and Charlie Hammond taking over from a claiming rider might have made the difference. 

Both factors will have to work again here off a 3lb higher mark, but as a young horse that looks very possible.