Timeform UK SmartPlays: Friday 31 January

Back
Pola Chance - 16:10 Catterick

Fitter for her recent run at Taunton, Pola Chance benefitted from the removal of the hood to get off the mark in ready fashion at Wetherby recently, keeping up to her work well to put seven lengths between herself and a well-backed rival. She is a juvenile on the up and is of plenty of interest here having been wisely turned out under a penalty.

Lay
Quart de Garde - 13:30 Catterick

Placed in all three of his completed starts in France, Quart de Garde produced a clumsy jumping display on his first outing for Donald McCain over this course and distance last month. He was sure to have made a successful start in this country had he been more fluent, but even if he had, that form would not have been anything out of the ordinary. He is likely to be near the top of the market for this maiden, but will need to drastically improve his hurdling to get the better of Mandalayan and The Blame Game.

Smart Stat
Springfield Fox - 13:20 Chepstow

16% - Tom George's strike rate with handicap chase debutants

Springfield Fox was unbeaten in all three of his starts in Irish points but made an uncompromising start to his Rules career when coming down at the third last at Bangor. He was much more convincing next time out, including in terms of jumping, when second at Southwell, and ran to a similar level when again finding only one too good at Lingfield earlier this month. He makes the switch to chasing here and certainly piques the interest on his first foray into handicaps.