Timeform UK SmartPlays: Saturday September 1

First stop is Chester, where an interesting handicap over an extended 13 furlongs is scheduled for 14:30. Tominator shaped with promise in the Ebor last week and is respected again, though preference is for the horse that finished three places ahead of him at York. Area Fifty One was making his first start beyond one and a half miles when fifth last week, and he actually looked the likeliest winner at one stage before his stamina just gave way.

Area Fifty One was also fifth in the John Smith's Cup on the Knavesmire, but he's no one-track pony, an impressive winner at Newmarket back in June, while his running style (normally to the fore) will lend itself well to Chester. The track should also take the emphasis off his slightly suspect stamina, so if he's ever to run a big race over this far, then surely today's the day.

We then nip across the country for our second selection, in the Beverley Bullet (16:15), arguably the East Riding track's biggest event of the year. With the nature of the course far from guaranteed to play to the strengths of market leaders Masamah and Pepper Lane, there can be a strong case made for three-year-old Ponty Acclaim. Although yet to add to her tally of four wins last year (which included the Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot), Tim Easterby's filly has improved her form in 2012, her most recent good effort coming against the weight of a draw bias on her handicap debut at York last week. The manner in which Ponty Acclaim travelled through that race suggests another improved effort could be in the offing under more suitable conditions and, on the right side of the draw this time, she can belatedly get back to winning ways.

We're back in Chesire just five minutes later for a handicap over an extended five furlongs. Dr Marwan Koukash-owned Lexi's Hero is the default favourite, the theory presumably being he's working his way back to form in time for a run at his owner's beloved Chester, but we see another with more tangible signs of recovery lurking a little further down the betting. Excel Bolt finished third in the Norfolk Stakes as a juvenile before meeting with a setback and has been a long time in returning to that level of form. He's been edging closer, though, his eighth-place finish at Ripon last time better than it looks on paper given he'd seemed right in the mix before backing out in the final 100 yards. Having been a speedy two-year-old, Excel Bolt should find this track right up his street and is now low enough in the weights to think he can strike.

Timeform SmartPlays

Back Area Fifty One @ 7.613/2 in the 14:30 at Chester
Back Ponty Acclaim @ 8.615/2 in the 16:15 at Beverley
Back Excel Bolt @ 9.89/1 in the 16:20 at Chester