Saturday tips: four best bets from Dave Nevison

He won so easily last time that it seems very unlikely to me that a 5lb penalty will stop him form completing the four-timer. 

Carlton is the latest in a growing list of horses that have significantly improved for joining the yard and has won all three of his starts since joining the stable, and all of them over this course and distance. He scored by by 3½ lengths on his latest outing.

Carlton is 12lb higher now than for his first win, but he still races off a mark 7lb lower than he ran off for his previous trainer. This son of Frankel didn’t make it in the Gosden yard, but this expensive purchase could still have a significant upside now that he has found his metier.

I was both disappointed and relieved after One Big Bang was beaten into fourth place at Cheltenham last time - disappointed after I had got on at almost double his starting price (for the second time running), and relieved because my bookie was still paying four places despite nine runners! 

Having looked at that race again, it seems pretty clear that the winner dictated his own pace and simply didn’t go quick enough for James Owen’s thorough stayer to get into gear and bring his stamina into play. Things didn’t go perfectly for One Big Bang at Haydock Park previously either, as he found himself trapped behind horses and couldn't prove quick enough to get a clear run through. 

However, there is a big field here and at least three front-runners in the mix, so hopefully this set-up will play to his strengths and he can get back to winning form.

From a mark of 88, he has definitely been given a chance to show what he can still do. 

is a nine-year-old and it is possible that he may well be in decline, but the handicapper is giving him some leeway and his disappointing effort last time could simply be because he did not stay over a new trip. 

Tempus has won six times over this distance of a mile - the last twice in Group Three company - but he struggled through all of last year largely in top-class handicap company. However, Tempus probably ran his best recent race under and this rider once more claims a valuable 3lb. 

Most of his more recent efforts have been decent runs and, though there is always a chance an older horse like Tempus may just be going through the motions, at odds of 20/1 and bigger plus extra places on offer he looks worth the risk.

A combination of a drop down in grade and most definitely a switch of stable seems to have worked wonders for Batal Dubai, who has run two good races since joining the stable. 

He found it tough going throughout last year for Harry Charlton, though he was highly tried on most runs and to be fair was at his best at this time of year on the all-weather.

Batal Dubai won last time over seven furlongs but ran well over this course and distance on stable debut. There looks to be plenty of pace here and that should suit perfectly over this trip, while he looks to be positioned well in stall 6 and from a position likely to be just on the outside of the front-runners.