Stat Selector: Wednesday 1 February

Pleasant Man - 13:00 Exeter

Smart Stat: 17% - Paul Nicholls' strike rate with handicap hurdling debutants

Pleasant Man is still far from the finished article as a hurdler, but he took a step in the right direction when last seen finishing third at Taunton a few weeks ago, only fading late on having raced too freely. He is very much the type to progress further in handicaps and the useful form he showed on the Flat when trained by Roger Charlton is an ongoing recommendation. He is refitted with cheekpieces today and it will be no surprise if he proves an opening BHA mark of 105 to be wholly inadequate.

Lagonda - 14:45 Exeter

Smart Stat: 17% - Venetia Williams' strike rate with handicap chase debutants

Lagonda produced her best effort over hurdles when third on her latest outing at Warwick, keeping on well to pass the post only five and a half lengths behind the winner. A winning pointer, she should take well to chasing and is still low-mileage for an eight-year-old having made only five starts under Rules. It's highly unlikely that we've seen the best of her yet and the switch to fences from a lowly mark for her handicap debut could be just what she needs to take her form up a notch.

Measured Time - 18:30 Kempton

Smart Stat: 2 - Charlie Appleby's number of winners in past 2 runnings

Charlie Appleby saddles two runners as he tries to win this maiden for the third year in a row. Golden Speech sets the standard on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings, but preference is for stablemate Measured Time, who must be considered a very interesting newcomer. By Frankel and a half-brother to the Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance, he certainly looks the part on paper and his strength in the betting suggests he has been showing up well on the gallops at Moulton Paddocks.