Timeform UK SmartPlays: Saturday April 20

Moohaajim can win again at Newbury

Timeform's SmartPlays team reckon they have found three winners ahead of Saturday's action...

The Scottish Champion Hurdle (14:40 Ayr) has attracted a strong field, with plenty looking suited by the drying conditions, notably the David O'Meara-trained Ifandbutwhynot. The seven-year-old has accrued plenty of experience for a novice, running in some extremely competitive handicap hurdles, and his most recent effort, where he finished ninth in the County Hurdle, suggests that he is still ahead of his mark. Deteriorating ground conditions were possibly against Ifandbutwhynot at Cheltenham, but he still shaped with promise, travelling powerfully on the outside before switching to the inside as they started the long, punishing climb for home. Ifandbutwhynot actually looked like hitting the frame as they jumped the last, but he weakened close home, leaving the impression that a greater test of speed would suit. He faces some interesting rivals today, a list spearheaded by the unexposed Court Minstrel and the potentially well-handicapped Grumeti, but we will place our faith in David O'Meara's charge.

The Greenham Stakes features five runners but, with three of them seemingly out of their depth, it looks set to develop into a match between Olympic Glory and Moohaajim. It is difficult to choose between them as they both boast a Timeform weight-adjusted rating of 130 but the Marco botti-trained Moohaajim is arguably open to more improvement, highlighted by his rating retaining a Timeform 'p', so he is the one we are going to plump for. The three-year-old was most progressive last term, scoring impressively at this venue in the Mill Reef but putting up a better performance, on the figures at least, when narrowly going down to Reckless Abandon on his final start, losing absolutely nothing in defeat that day. The overriding impression is that he will have no problems with today's seven furlongs and, if connections harbour hopes of tasting Classic glory, he would have to go close here.  

A recent upturn in fortunes of the Andy Turnell yard could be enough to see The Druids Nephew (17:00 Ayr) make a return to the winners' enclosure. Well fancied for the novices' handicap chase on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, The Druids Nephew possibly did a little bit too much in the early stages, eventually finishing a respectable eighth. That was an encouraging first foray into handicap company, however, and the way he went for much of the way, allied with the form he had shown prior to Cheltenham, suggests that he is well treated. It should be noted that Turnell was really struggling for winners at that point, though, so it is a positive that he has saddled two winners within the past 10 days, and The Druids Nephew holds strong claims here.

Timeform SmartPlays:

Back Ifandbutwhynot @ 5.49/2 in the 14:40 at Ayr
Back Moohaajim @ 2.89/5 in the 15:30 at Newbury
Back The Druids Nephew @ 4.84/1 in the 17:00 at Ayr

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