AFTER a peculiar week in racing with meetings being abandoned, races going off early and jockeys taking the wrong course we’re hoping to return to normality this weekend.  The main card in the country this week is up at Haydock with the Silver bowl handicap and the Temple stakes being the highlights.  The Temple stakes, over five furlongs, has moved to Haydock this year from its previous home at Sandown.  The last time the race was switched to another course there were all sorts of problems caused by a stalls workers’ strike and a tape start.  Hopefully something similar won’t happen this time but after the week that’s been I wouldn’t be surprise.  Providing the race goes off without a hitch I expect Dandy Man to be involved at the end.  In the last couple of seasons this horse has consistently finished in the frame in the big five-furlong sprints without winning.  This weekend he’s got his ground, the right trip and a change of stables and he can finally land a decent event.  Across the Irish Sea at the Curragh the main protagonists from the 2,000 Guineas lock horns again in the Irish equivalent.  The fashion in which Henrythenavigator picked up New Approach inside the final furlong and held him off was impressive to say the least.  Apparently the horse was short of work as well and I think he should be able to confirm the form with Jim Bolger’s runner.

Selections – 3.35 Haydock, 2 Dandy Man

                                                              3.45 Curragh, 2 Henrythenavigator