Timeform UK SmartPlays: Saturday December 8

John Gosden is represented by Hepworth at Lingfield today

Valuable handicaps at Sandown and Aintree are the source for two of today's SmartPlays while the Flat performers are not forgotten as we visit the polytrack at Lingfield.

Any horse in the care of John Gosden that visits one of the all-weather tracks at this time of year should be noted and in the case of Hepworth (14:15 Lingfield) this is particularly relevant as the daughter of Singspiel is returning from a 14-month break since creating a really good impression when just failing to nab Reckoning in a Doncaster maiden. That race was over a mile but her breeding and the manner of that run suggests this one-and-a-half-mile trip should be well within her compass and she can make up for lost time and break her duck at the second attempt.

Ifandbutwhynot (14:30 Sandown) has shown himself a hurdler of immense potential recently in taking a Newcastle novice and a Cheltenham handicap and despite a 13 lb rise for the latter victory still looks fairly treated for this listed event. The form of both those victories has been franked since, most recently when the second and fifth in the latter race, Tanerko Emery and Able Deputy, filled the first two places in a handicap here yesterday and the David O'Meara-trained gelding looks set to take another step up the ladder now, possibly at the expense of Swampfire, who finished fourth in that same Cheltenham heat.

Conditions are sure to be testing on the Grand National course at Aintree, but that should hold no fears for Gansey (15:20 Aintree) who looks to hold strong claims in the valuable Grand Sefton Handicap. Sue Smith's charge arrives on the back of a really good effort behind the unexposed Bless The Wings at Wetherby last month, pushing that rival all the way there and with an unblemished record of three from three when racing on heavy ground and a bold-jumping style that is likely to be suited to these fences, he can make up for an early unseat when tackling the Topham over C&D in 2011.

Timeform UK SmartPlays

Back Hepworth @ 1.855/6 in the 14:15 at Lingfield
Back Ifandbutwhynot @ 4.1n/a in the 14:30 at Sandown
Back Gansey @ 6.411/2 in the 15:20 at Aintree

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