Dave Nevison's Thursday tips: picks for Chester and Huntingdon

He hit form at around this time last season and it looks as though he is being primed to do the same this year judging by his reappearance effort.

Michaela's Boy led a good field at Musselburgh last time until running out of puff and dropping back as though patently needing the run. He also ran some excellent races last season, including in Listed events and just got touched off in a big handicap at the Curragh last summer.  

The Mick Appleby gelding is drawn just about alright in stall 6 and, if he gets out in his normal fashion, he should be able to tack across in front of the habitual slower starters that are drawn inside of him. My ideal scenario is that Michaela’s Boy will sit on the outside of Robert Cowell’s fast starter and wear down that rival close home. 

The application of the tongue tie for the first time should help him and a lower handicap mark is obviously a help too.

Jockey takes over here and Chatty Chich is running against her own sex so, in what looks a weak event, it looks very possible that she can give the weight away here.

Trained by Dan Skelton, this mare was a 200/1 chance on her final novices' hurdle start but went off at 85/40 favourite on her first run in a handicap and was beaten by just three quarters of a length. 

The key to the improvement was being stepped up to a distance commensurate with her pedigree (she is related to winners over three and a half miles) and this 3m1f distance will definitely suit her equally as well. 

Chatty Chich has been raised 2lb for that excellent handicap debut but the form of her last run is already working out, with the third already a winner, so the rise could be lenient. 

He might be very well treated off a mark of 90. 

Trained by Roger Varian, the lightly-raced four-year-old looked a class apart in what looked a competitive 0-90 event at at the end of March. He travelled so smoothly he could be named the winner in the straight on that occasion and he quickened clear to win comfortably.He was value for more than the 1¼-lengths winning margin and his rating appeals, especially in the same grade for this his first run in a turf handicap. 

The yard has remained in top form, ground should not be an issue and Inspiritus has a fair draw in stall 6, so he might well be able to defy top-weight here.