Timeform UK SmartPlays: Sunday September 30

John Gosden trains our final SmartPlay

It's (nearly) a tale of two capital cities today, as our SmartPlays come from Musselburgh and Epsom.

We're starting off just east of Edinburgh, in Musselburgh's opening 13-furlong handicap at 13:30. It's a race that would appear to revolve around the unexposed pair of Tiny Temper and The Baronet. The former looked set to give Gosforth Park (who has won again since) a race at Newcastle on her reappearance before clipping heels and unseating, but the latter was just as unlucky on his handicap debut at Kempton last time, held up off a very limp pace after a sluggish start yet only just failing. As you may have guessed from his name, The Baronet is trained by the master of improving middle-distance three-year-olds in Sir Mark Prescott Bt, and that in itself would suggest he's open to further improvement after just four starts in all.

We're staying in East Lothian for now, taking in the fillies' handicap over a mile at 15:35. It was just over a year ago that Hot Rod Mamma went on a winning spree that saw her ultimately register some useful form on the Timeform scale, but patchy form since has meant she hasn't scaled those heights since. However, this is a weaker race and there were indications last time that a return to form could be on the cards, left in a hopeless position at Catterick before keeping on from the rear to take fifth. Her very best form has come at around a mile and generally with ground on the softer side, so conditions will pose no problems to Hot Rod Mamma and everything looks in place for a return to winning ways.

We have to hot-foot it to Epsom in time for our third selection, which runs just 20 minutes later in a 10-furlong handicap which contains some useful sorts. Useful they may be, but few are anything like as unexposed as Splendid Light, who has had just three runs in his career. He finished clear with a subsequent maiden winner at Kempton on his debut before going off too hard at Pontefract the following month. Another hefty absence since then leaves a nagging concern for Splendid Light's chances, but such is the impression he's created thus far it'd be surprising if he doesn't prove better than a BHA rating of 86 in time and, with those doubts still lingering it could be the day you get a workable price about John Gosden's gelding.

Timeform SmartPlays

Back The Baronet @ 2.89/5 in the 13:30 at Musselburgh
Back Hot Rod Mamma @ 10.09/1 in the 15:35 at Musselburgh
Back Splendid Light @ 6.05/1 in the 15:55 at Epsom

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