Timeform UK SmartPlays: Wednesday April 9

Flying Officer has only made it to the racecourse on three occasions but he has shown a useful level of form and is worth backing in the feature race of the day, the listed Further Flight Stakes (16:10). Flying Officer justified strong market support on his juvenile debut, winning a well-contested Sandown maiden over one mile, and he shaped with promise when finishing mid-field in an exceptionally strong renewal of the Autumn Stakes on his next start, undone by his inexperience against some exciting prospects (notably Trading Leather and Montiridge). An opening mark of 88 was not enough to stop Flying Officer winning a 10-furlong handicap on what turned out to be his only start as a three-year-old, and he remains with the potential for better this term, especially now that he faces a test of stamina - Flying Officer is a full brother to the same connections' 2007 St Leger winner Lucarno.

Our next bet runs in the following race on the card, the extended one-mile handicap at 16:40, as we side with recent Lincoln third Robert The Painter. David O'Meara's charge rattled up a hat-trick last summer, defying a mark of 89 on the third occasion, but he showed that he can still be competitive off his current mark with an extremely creditable effort in the Lincoln, coming home in third and actually shaping like the second-best horse in the race. Robert The Painter did have a fitness edge over many of his rivals having run in Dubai but there is no getting away from the fact it was up there with the best of his efforts, and he should go close off the same mark in this less-competitive event.

The progressive Secret Pursuit appears to have been let in lightly by the assessor and she can take the three-year-old handicap at 17:10. The expensively-purchased Secret Pursuit is a half-sister to three winners, including the smart Pearl Flute, and she seems to be going the right way with racing, progressing with each run. She displayed fair form to win a one-mile maiden at Lingfield, staying on well to get on top close home, and Marcus Tregoning's filly could well prove to be a lot better than an opening mark of 68 would suggest. 

Timeform UK SmartPlays:
All at Nottingham

Back Flying Officer @ 4.94/1 in the 16:10
Back Robert The Painter @ 3.6553/20 in the 16:40
Back Secret Pursuit @ 7.613/2 in the 17:10