Timeform UK SmartPlays: Wednesday April 3

The Queen's Handiwork is fancied at Southwell this afternoon

On the eve of the three-day Grand National meeting, we head to today's three all-weather meetings for our SmartPlays, which includes a recommended lay.

Rakticate (16:20 Southwell) appears to have, on paper, an easy task here switching back to selling company after finishing runner-up in a pair of handicaps in January and has in fact filled that position on five of her last six outings, but nevertheless there are sufficient reasons to oppose her here. While her three rivals are yet to show form anything close to the level she has achieved, she will need to perform much better than on her only previous run here when a below-par fourth in a similar event over a mile in November and, with Ceekay's Girl in particular a possible improver for a step up in trip/switch to fibresand, we'd rather be a layer than a player at expected odds.

Tempus fugit, as the saying goes, and it's hard to believe that it's already nearly eight years since Motivator stormed away with the Epsom Derby to provide Michael Bell with his first English classic success and while Handiwork (16:30 Lingfield) won't be scaling the same heights as his sire, it's likely he'll improve on the form shown in a trio of maidens over a mile now stepped up to 1 miles. From a workable-looking initial handicap mark, he looks set to break his duck here on his way to better things.

Hidden Link (20:30 Kempton) broke his duck on stepping into handicap company over 9.5 furlongs at Wolverhampton in January and returned to the winners' circle with a facile victory at Lingfield just over a week ago. Racing over the same mile trip here under a penalty for that three-length win, further success awaits. 

Timeform UK SmartPlays

Lay Rakticate @ 1.341/3 in the 16:20 at Southwell
Back Handiwork @ 2.8615/8 in the 16:30 at Lingfield
Back Hidden Link @ 2.0811/10 in the 20:30 at Kempton

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