Timeform UK SmartPlays: Tuesday February 5

Racing returns to Southwell on Tuesday.

Racing returns to Southwell for the first time since November 20 and that is where all three of today's SmartPlays run...

The key to punting at Southwell is course form, which our selection in the 14:10 boasts plenty of. The Conor Dore-trained Ace Of Spies has gained each of his last five wins at this venue, putting up his best recent effort when scoring over today's distance of seven furlongs in November, and you shouldn't read too much into the fact that he has been a fair way below form on polytrack of late. Boy The Bell and Kashmiri Star strike as being the main dangers to the selection, but Ace Of Spies has slipped to his last winning mark, as a result of the aforementioned poor run of form, and he is taken as being capable of returning to winning ways here. 

Southwell's 16:10 is a fairly poor contest, being a class 6 handicap for maidens, but Shearian, Holding Fast and Una Bella Cosa have all come close to gaining their first wins of late and they looks the ones to concentrate on. Holding Fast's latest run is best ignored, as he was unsuited by the run of the race, whilst Shearian has been running creditably of late but Una Bella Cosa is consistent, having made the frame on each of her last four starts despite her stamina appearing stretched by the nine and a half furlongs faced at Wolverhampton last time. Today's distance of a mile seems to be more suitable and her prominent style of racing ought to stand her in good stead on the fibresand, so she is awarded the vote. 

McBirney and Sweet Liberta are just about the two picks on form but, with the former having no worthwhile form on this surface and the latter yet to race on it, the one that makes most appeal in the 161:40 is Goldmadchen. The five-year-old notched her second win in Britain when scoring over C&D in November, making smooth headway to lead a furlong out and staying on well, and although she couldn't build upon that effort at Wolverhampton last time a return to the fibresand could just work the oracle. 

Timeform SmartPlays:
All at Southwell
Back Ace Of Spies @ 5.14/1 in the 14:10
Back Una Bella Cosa @ 4.03/1 in the 16:10
Back Goldmadchen @ 4.216/5 in the 16:40

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