Timeform UK SmartPlays: Monday January 20

As ever, course form will be a central consideration when looking for bets on the fibresand and that's very much the case in the first (13:05). Mataajir has come back to top form on his last two starts here, winning a couple of weeks back and finishing second to an improving Appleby charge seven days later. He's actually in off a 1 lb lower mark than last time here and, with this race looking somewhat weaker, Mataajir should be a shorter price than he currently is to get back to winning ways.

The card finishes with two sprint handicaps, the first of which (15:40) features a fair number of in-form types. Thorpe Bay is among them, though the market currently has him a lot further down than he'd be if you can ignore his last run. As it happens we can, as his saddle slipped early on and jockey Ali Rawlinson was unable to ride a finish. Dropped 1 lb for that, Thorpe Bay should be challenging for favouritism here and the only reason he isn't can be readily excused. As such, he's a value choice to resume his run of top form.

Our final selection could be the best-handicapped horse running today. Ghostwing (16:10) tumbled right down the weights for Luke Dace in 2013, ending his time with that yard on a BHA mark of 57. He returned for Tony Carroll recently and all of a sudden looks ready to take advantage: rider Luke Morris certainly wasn't hard on him as he made up ground into sixth at Lingfield. Though raced over further in recent times, Ghostwing won over C&D (and from an 18-lb higher mark) just two years ago and his entries for later in the week suggest that connections expect a much bolder showing with his debut for them now behind him.

Timeform UK SmartPlays
All at Southwell

Back Mataajir @ 5.24/1 in the 13:05 
Back Thorpe Bay @ 6.611/2 in the 15:40
Back Ghostwing @ 3.259/4 in the 16:10