Saturday tips: four from Dave Nevison

A good second to the extremely well-backed Altobelli last time, he could well now be primed for a strong spring campaign. 

Joyeux Machin had been ridden by claiming riders on all starts since joining Dan Skelton, but the eight-year-old ran his best race for the yard last time when stable jockey Harry Skelton took over in the saddle.

Joyeux Machin is a winner over three miles in Ireland but has been raced over shorter distances over here so far and, judged on his latest run, he will be very well suited by this step back up in trip. 

Lucinda Russell’s horses have been running really well for some time now and, after stable success in the Ultima on Tuesday, this mare can round off a great week by landing this traditional post-Festival feature.

The Jenningsbet Midlands National looks tailor made for Apple Away, who ran second in the Grand National Trial at Haydock last time. That was a good effort, although slightly puzzling in that she was up with the pace for the first two miles before dropping out – and looking at the point of being pulled up - and then staying on dourly in the home straight.

Apple Away certainly gave every indication there that she would be perfectly well suited by this marathon test over four and a quarter miles.

Double Powerful should be on an incredible eight-timer here as he was desperately unlucky not to get up and win last time. 

Everything went wrong for him in the short home straight at Ascot and, after being switched and making a mistake at the last, he just failed by a head to beat East India Express. The handicapper has put him up another 6lb, but that doesn’t seem excessive and it looks as though there are still further handicaps to be won with him despite going up no less than 51lb since the start of his sequence.

Conor O’ Farrell rides for the first time but Double Powerful has already won for three different jockeys, so I am not at all concerned.

There are plenty of horses who like to be up with the pace in this handicap and, now that he has finally landed a race, I am hoping that Bad can keep on progressing and become the horse his reputation initially marked him out as. 

He bolted up by 10 lengths over course and distance last time out, taking it up in the home straight and pulling away in resolute style. 

That was on slower ground than he will race on here, but he has run well enough on good ground earlier this season and the 9lb more he carries here would not have stopped him last time.