Dave Nevison's Wednesday tips: "This looks a good opportunity"

This six-year-old has the look of a good bet here, in my opinion, with several positive indicators coming into alignment. 

Lerwick has never contested a 0-70 grade handicap, and will certainly appreciate the drop in grade, plus after a string of disappointing performances, there were better signs on his latest start. 

He was quite well backed in a higher grade having been stepped back up to this trip in December, and finished a good third over this course and distance. 

With the blinkers re-applied, he could be livened up (Lerwick finished second twice at this time last year with the blinkers on) and with Mark Loughnane's runners generally running well, this looks a good opportunity for an overdue win. 

Mount Athos is unbeaten in five starts at Kempton and has plenty going for him again, so can extend that unbeaten run further. 

The selection won a 0-105 handicap at this track last year when making all the running to score comfortably off a rating of 106, and the circumstances on Wednesday are similar, so his chance is obvious. 

He did well without winning in Deauville before Christmas, and is clearly fit enough for this first start of the year, which is a positive. 

It is possible that he will be challenged for the early lead here, but I think that his experience of the track, and ability in the grade, makes Mount Athos the likely winner. 

Michael Bell’s lightly-raced filly looks the improver in this contest, and is likely to start favourite to win her second handicap. 

She scored at Epsom in the summer after finishing a promising fourth at this track, but wasn’t seen for four months before reappearing at Chelmsford in December. 

That run, over this distance, was her best effort yet, and if she only improves slightly for that comeback run, she will definitely go close. 

Her habit of starting slowly means she will likely have to pick her way through the field, but the form of her latest effort looks strong, with the winner, and the seventh, scoring next time out. 

Oisin Murphy is also doing the steering for the first time, which certainly won’t harm her chances.