Timeform UK SmartPlays: Wednesday October 3

It could be a long way home at Nottingham for Starfield today...

There are two bets at Salisbury in today's SmartPlays, and one to take on at Nottingham.

The first race (13:30) at Salisbury contains plenty of soundly-bred newcomers, but they could be up against it with Greatwood and Lions Arch setting a high standard on their respective debut efforts. The former is definitely respected, but we see much more mileage in the price of Lions Arch. He's no slouch himself in terms of pedigree (by Rock of Gibraltar out of an unraced sister to Fleeting Spirit) and made an encouraging debut at Doncaster last month, finishing fifth in quite a strong maiden despite obvious signs of greenness, his rider sympathetic to as much. Now under the guidance of champion jockey-elect Richard Hughes, Lions Arch will improve for the experience of his debut and get his head in front here.

We stick with two-year-old races at Salisbury for our next selection, in the minor event at 15:35. It's a real surprise that Mutazamen isn't a shorter price for this, his form superior to anything his rivals can lay claim to and his suitability to the trip not in question. His only defeat to date came on his debut, when runner-up in a typically strong Newmarket maiden behind Ashdan, who has since won impressively at Doncaster. Since then Mutazamen has won two events similar in make-up to this, both from the front showing impressive speed, and there's no reason to think he can't repeat the dose here even under the penalty he's incurred for those wins.

Finally we visit Nottingham, for their maiden over an extended mile at 17:00. Favourite Starfield made an encouraging debut at Doncaster in early-August, but that's no reason to have him at current prices for this contest. A late starter considering his dam's precocity and wearing eyeshields for his debut (as he will today), all indications are that Starfield isn't going to be one of John Gosden's leading lights, and there's plenty in the way of competition in this. Besides Qanan (who is our idea of the likeliest winner), there's Be My Rock (runner-up on both starts so far) as well as Viewpoint, who arguably has the best form out of all of the 15 runners. With that considered, a lay of Starfield in the win market at anything less than around 2.9015/8 looks a sensible course of action.

Timeform SmartPlays

Back Greatwood @ 5.39/2 in the 13:30 at Salisbury
Back Mutazamen @ 3.39/4 in the 15:35 at Salisbury
Lay Starfield @ 2.546/4 in the 17:00 at Nottingham

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