VERSATILITY – 2.40pm HAYDOCK
0.5 PTS EACH WAY BET ADVISED AT THE 11/1 AVAILABLE WITH SKYBET WHO ARE PAYING 5 PLACES
This is admittedly a typically competitive looking big Saturday afternoon 12-runner handicap at Haydock where several have wining chances but, with that said, I have been following the career of Nicky Henderson’s 7 year old gelding Versatility for a while and think he could still have more to offer as a chaser so thought he looked worth an each way bet at the price (11/1) especially with SKYBET the only bookmaker offering 5 places on the race. It will be very surprising if he finishes outside the first 5.
The selection was well beaten at Sandown 3 weeks ago but was reportedly “looked after” by today’s jockey Nico De Boinville after hitting a fence early. He certainly wasn’t given a hard race and it could just have put him right for this as he may have just need the run off an 87-day break. He fairly comfortably won a race over this trip at Ludlow by 4.75 lengths last November before finishing 2.25 lengths 2nd of 8 off 6lb higher at Newbury. It was Soft ground on that occasion which you would have thought might have suited with a name like Versatility but he reportedly needs good ground so better can be expected today with drying conditions at the track and it officially Good to Soft.
The form of his races towards the end of last year is also working out quite well with the 2nd in his Ludlow win having won off the same mark since and the 4th in the Newbury race where he was 2nd, who he beat by 29 lengths, won a similar race off the same mark by 9.5 lengths next time out. He is 8lb higher than for his Ludlow win but my thinking is he’ll be a bit stronger now 7 after another Winter and may be better than his current mark of 129 with especially back on a quicker surface with him reported as “in good form at home”. Good luck!
Jibber Jabber
P.S. Just a reminder that while I suggest bookies to bet with because they have the best price available or are offering to pay extra places in a race these are purely for your benefit and I receive absolutely nothing from them. I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY BOOKMAKERS!
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