Timeform UK SmartPlays: Sunday April 29

Quarton (14:10) makes plenty of appeal in the opening race with cheekpieces and the tongue-tie being tried for the first time. The five-year-old won a maiden hurdle at Naas last year, when trained by Timothy Doyle, and he made a fair start to life with his current yard when sixth over course and distance in February. He offered more promise, again over course and distance, earlier this month when finishing fourth to Red Skipper, getting back on track after two lacklustre efforts and shaping better than the result, paying for a swift move three flights from home as his effort petered out. The drop in grade, and the application of the aforementioned equipment, could well spark further improvement and he looks set to run a big race.

With Battlecat being a non-runner, the two-mile novices hurdle at 15:50 can go the way of Clarion Call who is taken to bounce back from a below-form effort at Ascot last time. He was in the process of showing improved form over hurdles before taking a fall on his penultimate start, likely to have won that contest but for coming down at the final flight when two lengths clear, and he returns to calmer waters after finishing fifth to yesterday's Sandown winner Lexi's Boy. That effort came on Clarion Call's handicap debut, off a fairly harsh mark of 121, so he is likely to be better suited to today's conditions and can go well at a decent price.

The well-treated Darcey's Dancer is another Williams non-runner, leaving stablemate Drumbaloo looking the most likely winner of the handicap chase at 16:25. The eight-year-old won a trio of bumpers and a hurdles race before joining the yard, but he has taken his form up a notch in winning over hurdles at Chestow and on his chasing debut at today's track last month. His latest start, when a 55-length second to Duke of Lucca, reads far worse than it should, as, over the more demanding Prestbury Park fences, Drumbaloo was careful early on and was not subjected to a hard race. The experience is likely to have done him good, and he is sure to make his presence felt.

Timeform SmartPlays
all at Ludlow

Back Quarton @ 5.49/2 in the 14:10
Back Clarion Call @ 6.86/1 in the 15:50
Back Drumbaloo @ 6.25/1 in the 16:25