Timeform UK SmartPlays: Wednesday February 22

Timeform UK SmartPlays / Timeform / 22 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

There's some competitve racing on the all-weather at Lingfield this afternoon

"Pale Orchid's last two runs feel like strong form for this sort of grade and, with the drop back to 6f looking ideal, she should prove hard to beat...."

There looks to be a good mix of racing today but Timeform's SmartPlays team believe the best betting opportunities may lie on the all-weather, with all three selections coming from Lingfield....

Our first SmartPlay comes in the seller, where Jordaura (14:15) is expected to appreciate the drop in class. Jordaura probably isn't the most straightforward individual, but he has managed to win three times since last summer, and has looked happier since upped to trips of around a mile and a quarter. Even a repeat of his relatively moderate recent efforts would set a good standard at today's weights.

David Simcock has his horses in decent order at present, and Palmyra (14:50) is fancied to provide him with another winner today. She caught the eye when very green at Kempton on debut, and showed the benefit of that experience when breaking her maiden over a mile at today's course last time. That day she accounted for an odds-on favourite and, after racing in rear and challenging wide, gave the impression that she was value for more than the winning margin. Palmyra looks to have been let in lightly by the official assessor for her handicap debut (Timeform top rated today) and, with the prospect of more to come upped in trip, she looks the one to beat.

Pale Orchid (16:30) has made great strides for David Evans this year, and appeals as the type to keep progressing on the all-weather. She won her maiden by nine lengths over five furlongs at the track in early-January, and has since created a particularly strong impression in two Kempton handicaps. On her penultimate start she readily accounted for the similarly progressive Dark Castle over six furlongs, and last time she travelled best of all over a furlong further, only to lose out narrowly to her unexposed market rival, with a yawning eight length gap back to the rest. Those last two runs strike as strong form for the grade (she's another to head the ratings) and, with the drop back to six furlongs looking ideal, she should prove hard to beat.

Timeform SmartPlays

Back Jordaura @ [4.0] in the 14:15 at Lingfield
Back Palmyra @ [3.2] in the 14:50 at Lingfield
Back Pale Orchid @ [2.26] in the 16:30 at Lingfield

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