There are some cracking cards both over the sticks and on the flat this afternoon and pride of place goes to three £50,000 contests at Haydock Park with the nap of the day going to Our Mick in the staying handicap chase at 2.05.

Don McCain’s charge is slowly returning to form and ran well for a long way at Aintree last time out in a better contest than this.

Dropped a further 3lbs for that run to a handicap rating of 134, the eight-year-old has a really good record here and can run the likes of lightweight Kian’s Delight and Hey Big Spender ragged.

With Bourne still badly out of form and Ludlow winner Hold Court given a harsh penalty for that Shropshire success, the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle at 2.40 could see Lord Protector bounce back to form.

I was hugely disappointed with his finishing effort last time out at Kempton. Swinging along on the bridle entering the home straight, this lightly raced seven-year-old then found nothing when put under pressure.

The reason for that below-par run has not surfaced but I am prepared to give him another chance off a rating that should still be within his capabilities; the lightly raced Songsmith is the other interesting player.

The final valuable race of the afternoon at the Lancashire track is the two and three quarter mile handicap chase at 3.15 and I am really keen on the claims of Hollow Blue Sky.

One of three entries for Nigel Twiston-Davies, the seven-year-old seemed to relish the drop back to an intermediate trip last time out and on this better ground and sharp track, I fancy he will get away with the extra quarter mile. Both the in-form veteran Midnight Sail and Minsaab are both feared in a fiercely competitive contest.

Over at Kempton Park the feature contest is the Listed Snowdrop Stakes at 2.55 and Zibelina should take a deal of beating with the Godolphin team in such good nick.

However, a better betting proposition could well be Circumvent in the London Mile Qualifier at 3.30. Paul Cole’s charge ran an eye-catcher in the Winter Derby and was then produced way too early at

Newbury last Saturday. If Tom Queally can hold on to him for a bit longer here then I suspect the selection could prove the each-way value up against Loving Spirit and Tigers Tale.

Finally, over at Bath there is a competitive seven race card from 4.55 and top weight Dark Lane looks the call here off a rating of 60 having run against better horses through the winter.

The selection has run well here before off much higher marks and is sure to be coming home spitting fire in the closing stages and gets the vote over Waabel.

Also at the Somerset track have a second look at both Ladies Are Forever in the Listed contest at 7.00 and top weight Fitzwilly at 8.00.