Timeform Radio Racing Tips: A trio of Perth bets

It's been very wet but we have a good card of NH racing at Perth
Dan Barber gets his teeth into the action north of the border with two backs and a lay at Perth
Punters face the current rarity of a six-race National Hunt card at Perth today, and it's only late in the day that the field sizes move into double digits, but that's not to say that there are no bets for us jumps enthusiasts.
My approach to Perth's 14:10 has changed about three times already this morning, but the final strategy and a possibly foolhardy one is simply to lay the unbeaten Mulligan's Man to smallish stakes. Of course, there's a chance that Donald McCain's novice is simply very promising and destined to develop into a useful jumper, but the current standing of his form over timber which includes a beating of serial loser Sarah Collins followed by a jog round in a desperate affair at Cartmel isn't quite meaty enough to suggest backing him at around 2.111/10.
In addition, it isn't as though the opposition are turkeys. Winning pointer Dotties Dilemma landed a Hexham bumper on his debut under Rules and Benefit of Youth showed twice in that sphere that he has the ability to win races, while Sea Change, though not the force of old, can still run to Flat figures in the mid-60s on the Timeform scale and also has conditions in his favour.
One shortie with whom it may well be worth pressing blue rather than pink, though, comes in the shape of Third Half in the juvenile event at 15:55. From a family who've all swiftly taken to hurdling, Third Half followed suit by winning at Worcester on his debut over obstacles, showing better form in the process than today's main rival Indepub has in two runs to date. Tim Vaughan's runner looked that day as though he won't have any trouble defying a penalty and, with fair and consistent Flat form at middle-distances to call upon (Indepub is blessed with less stamina), Third Half can put his fluent jumping to good use again.
Both of Lucinda Russell's runners since jumping's ten-day hiatus performed with some credit at Uttoxeter on Sunday, which forms part of the case for backing her Bescot Springs win only at 16:30. Admittedly, Bescot Springs is something of a character, but he's got plenty of form at Perth and his sole win last season, at Kelso during the autumn, reads much better now than it did at the time thanks to the subsequent exploits of the second (Garleton) and third (According To Pete) that day.
As with the lay of Mulligan's Man, stakes should be kept on the small side (chiefly because of his lengthy absence), but Bescot Springs is worth an interest returning against rivals who've largely been rising in the weights for enjoying success in weak affairs in the early part of the season.
Recommended Bets
Lay Mulligan's Man @ up to 2.26/5 in the 14.10 at Perth
Back Third Half @ 1.84/5 or bigger in the 15.55 at Perth
Back Bescot Springs @ 8.07/1 or bigger in the 16.30 at Perth