Daryl Carter's Tips: 5/2 Best bet Lizard hiding in plain sight at Huntingdon

• Stand-out NAP of the day at Huntingdon

• Lounge Lizard to relish drop in grade after Cheltenham career-best

• David Pipe's runner is expected to improve now in up in distance

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15:40 Huntingdon - Back Lounge Lizard @ 5/23.50 2pt

Today's race represents a significant drop in grade for Lounge Lizard - 5/23.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who arrived on the back of a career-best at Cheltenham last time when finding only the smart Ga Law too good.

That finishing effort suggests he has plenty of scope from this rating 133, and a three pounds rise, having pulled well clear with the winner, and a course specialist in third looks lenient.

That latest effort is not the first time this horse has caught the eye. At the back end of last season at Aintree, he ran a screamer for much of the race only to be outstayed by two now higher in the handicap over 3m.

The seven-year-old seems to be coming good as the spring approaches, and his latest effort was a firm indication that he is ready to strike.

The drop in grade, return to prominent tactics, and his unexposed profile at this middle-distance trip make him a betting proposition today at 5/23.50 or bigger.

Patroclus is interesting, given Sam Thomas has had plenty of his ready-to-go at the first time of asking this year, and the booking of Sam Twiston Davies catches the eye. Still, the selection should be hard to beat, and the market is running scared of the Venetia Williams French recruit, given her recent success, but Lounge Lizard's proven form is the best on offer by some margin.

16:15 Huntingdon - Back Chauffeur Driven @ 9/43.25 1pt

This race is a low-graded affair, but it's hard to ignore the claims of David Pipe's Chauffeur Driven - 9/43.25 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who enters handicaps on what could be a very lenient opening rating of 100.

The five-year-old looks well treated even on his point-to-point victory in which the runner-up and third are rated higher than him. He has had some stiff tasks over two miles in his qualifying runs when bumping into useful Novices Lump Sum and Fiercely Proud.

He caught the eye at Exeter in January when finishing his race off well under hand and heels riding when shaping as though a move up in distance will see him a better light.

He is bred to stay well, and, interestingly, Jack Tudor is here for this only ride when he could be a Doncaster on his regular ride, First Lord De Cuet, in a more valuable race for the yard. This is as poor a race as you can find, so I expect it would be disappointing should the £65k point-to-point purchase by Tom Malone not be able to get the job done.

Interestingly, the horse he beat in his point-to-point is running at Doncaster tomorrow over 3m for the first time ten minutes later at 16:25, so it may be worth following through should he be victorious.

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