Timeform UK SmartPlays: Monday February 3

We work our way from East to West, starting with Kempton's 14:00. It's an everyday fillies' handicap in which the unknown of Welsh Sunrise's suitability for the six-furlong trip is more than offset by her progressive profile. She won on her debut at about this time last year but took until the winter to really build on that. It happened at around the same time Welsh Sunrise dropped to seven furlongs, with a second and first at Lingfield and here respectively. She's now down further in trip but looks to have the speed for it and, still early in her time with the Stuart Williams, may even improve further to see this lot off without undue hassle.

Southwell's next, specifically their handicap hurdle over an extended three miles at 14:50. Hopatina has won her last three starts and is probably the likeliest winner again, though the level of disparity between her and the unexposed Gonalston Cloud makes an each-way bet on the latter a more sensible bet. He stepped up to staying trips for the first time when second over C&D last time, shaping as though it's the increased emphasis on stamina that lay behind his improvement. In off the same mark and with a recent run behind him now, Gonalston Cloud can be expected to put up another bold showing in this admittedly stronger race.

We finish at Wolverhampton, taking in the minor event (17:10) over the extended mile course there. It looks a fair opportunity for Chookie Royale to get his just rewards for a highly-consistent all-weather campaign; he won at Kempton back in October and has been second on all four starts since. That's not to cast any aspersions on Chookie Royale's attitude, with handicap marks in the mid-90s and, in the case of his latest run, coming up against the smart Grey Mirage the main factors in his continued narrow defeats. One of today's opponents, Don't Call Me, isn't far off that standard, but this is his polytrack debut and could just be a starting point for bigger targets. The chances are that Chookie Royale won't have as much in the way of excuses should he come up short again today.

Timeform UK SmartPlays

Back Welsh Sunrise @ 3.4549/20 in the 14:00 Kempton
Back Gonalston Cloud @ 8.415/2 to win and @ 2.942/1 to place in the 14:50 Southwell
Back Chookie Royale @ 3.1511/5 in the 17:10 Wolverhampton