Beverley sprinters defy the odds as high-draw curse strikes once again

A 679-1 shot came in at Beverley – yet nobody seemed particularly surprised by the turn of events.

Three of the 17 horses declared for the 5f handicap, the second race on the card, had been pulled out on a vet's certificate by 9.00am – they were reported to be stiff, in season and suffering from an infected foot.

They were also the horses due to start from stalls 17, 16 and 15 on a sprint track renowned for favouring those drawn low. The chance that the trio hit by setbacks should just happen to be the three with the worst draws is one in 680.