Thursday tips: Dave Nevison shares his three best bets

Evan Williams has had three winners from his past ten runners (before racing on Wednesday) so clearly has his string in good form. 

This seven-year-old is interesting here after a respectable return from an absence last time out. 

The key interest to me is that Out Of Focus’ hurdles mark has been dropped 11lb despite the fact that his past three runs have been over fences. 

It looked last time as if he was happier back over hurdles and if he comes on from the reappearance run then he could show himself well weighted in his sphere. 

Surrey Lord is improving with every run over hurdles and escapes a penalty for his win in an event for conditionals at Kempton last week and looks an obvious choice to complete the hat-trick. 

Kevin Brogan won on him on his penultimate start and is back on board in this open event and the forecast good to soft ground is what he has won his last two races on. 

With others from the Toby Lawes stable also going well it is difficult to see a negative. 

This is an exceptionally tight sprint handicap but Cherry Cobbler is the lightly raced potential improver in the field who could be well ahead of his mark. 

He will be fresher than most of his rivals after missing most of the year before reappearing with a promising third over 6fhere in October. He was only beaten ¾ length in that event after a slow start – it might well have been just rustiness - and the handicapper could have been generous leaving his mark unchanged for this. 

Rossa Ryan being booked is obviously a positive and Cherry Cobbler looks an interesting horse to be with this winter.