Saturday tips: Dave Nevison shares his best bets in the handicaps

Punctuation has undoubtedly been given a chance by the handicapper and looks as though he can still win races for Nicky Henderson after a promising reappearance a month ago. 

He was a short enough price that day at Doncaster and was beaten only 7 ½ lengths into fourth, yet has been dropped 2lb for the perfectly respectable run. 

He has been given almost a month to get over that and is now just 2lb higher than for his last win over hurdles. The trip will be a good test for his Cheltenham Festival handicap entries, but I don’t think will hold any fears.

James Ewart’s nine-year-old chaser is out of a dam who won over 2¼ miles on the Flat and is related to 4m chasers, including Rimsky, who chased home subsequent winner Comply Or Die in this contest in 2008. 

Since coming back from injury, Lord Roco has run two good races and it looks pretty certain he has been building up to running in this marathon. 

He has run three times at Newcastle, winning a novices’ hurdle and being placed in two chases. Last time out he stayed on well to be third, beaten just over two lengths in a 0-125 here, and it looked the perfect pipe opener for this. 

This is a competitive renewal but there are not many in the field open to as much improvement up in trip. 

The cheekpieces are back on the first time this season and excellent 5lb claimer William Maggs is booked, bringing his weight down to 10st. Everything looks in place for a big run.

Golden Son has not proved to be as good a chaser for Paul Nicholls as he was over hurdles in France, but he looks as though he may be poised to come good. 

He won a handicap at Kempton last season and is 1lb lower for this race after just four more runs. 

His form did tail off on his final two starts last season but the stable were out of form and he likely needed his return run after a wind op. He ran much better over course and distance last time, being beaten 10 lengths into third but finishing ahead of three next-time-out winners. 

He is off the same mark on Saturday and if he were to recover his French form, then he could be very well in indeed. With the Nicholls yard back in strong form, he looks worth a bet here. 

The bottom weight in the Fred Winter last season ran off a mark of 120, so if Bust A Move is to get to run in that race than he could do with a win between now and then. 

As a four-year-old, he gets a useful weight-for-age allowance in this race and it looks an ideal stepping stone to the Festival. 

The Easterby juvenile won on his hurdles’ debut from two next-time-out winners and then improved to be third in a warm race at Wetherby, where he might have been too far back before making his move. 

This is a useful and experienced handicapper who goes on very soft ground and certainly looks well in despite being a couple of pounds wrong at the weights.