Haydock top racing tip: Divine Comedy can give punters plenty to smile about

15:30 Haydock:  Betfred Nifty 50 Hell Nook Handicap  (2 miles 46 yards)

The early market leader, Nothing To Sea, must overcome a 303-day absence as he moves up in both class and trip, with a six-pound higher mark thrown in.

He has potential, but a stronger favourite would be Law Of The Sea, who is already race-fit and who comes here on the back of a fine third of 16 in the Class 2 Chester Plate  over an extended 2¼ miles.

That run was on quick ground, and he was ultimately beaten for finishing speed, but in this month last year, he finished a closer  fourth of 16 (beaten 1¾ lengths) in the more valuable Class 2 Chester Cup.

His latest Chester run was also his first outing for 209 days, so he is entitled to come on again today, and his only previous run at this track was a good one which saw him finish less than a length behind the winner of this race last season, when it took place on good-to-firm.

Given the evidence from Chester, today’s slower ground will suit, and the six-year-old is also a pound lower this time, so he has a good chance and the odds for this and other races can be found on best betting sites UK here.

Next best bet: Law Of The Sea in the 15:30 at Haydock

But one who can make him settle for place money in this race for a second successive year is the progressive mare, Divine Comedy, who is already a winner at this venue, and that came on her only previous visit this time last year, when she won a 14-furlong handicap by no less than 10 lengths.

That rout was on good-to-firm ground, but just two runs later, she won a stronger handicap over the same distance on soft ground at Nottingham, despite a 13lb higher mark than for her win over this course and distance.

Clearly, she was a very progressive performer last term, but she has actually been progressing for the last two years, since she won a 10f handicap at Newcastle in this month in 2022, since when her overall figures have been 13213113133 and she has improved her performance levels as she has gone up in trip from 10 furlongs to two miles.

She began that sequence by winning off a mark of 59 and her latest win came off 85, and very significantly, all of her wins have been achieved on galloping, left-handed tracks, the last four of them being flat.

Suggested best bet: Divine Comedy in the 15:30 at Haydock

Her last seven turf runs have all come on this sort of track configuration and that sequence, which has produced figures of 1311313, goes back to October 2022, so she certainly hasn’t been over-raced in this sphere.

The last three have been on soft ground and they have been her top three turf performances, even taking into account that her only turf run since last October, at Doncaster last month, was over a 12-furlong trip that is too short for her.

Today’s more galloping track will suit her even better, and all but one of her wins have been on turf, so she has a lot going for her today as she comes here still unexposed as a two-mile handicapper and with the potential to be a very classy one.

Her four turf wins have been under Kaiya Fraser, who knows her better than anyone and who has won on two of her three previous rides at today’s venue.

• Tips and analysis provided by Steve Jones who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr

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