THE week before the Epsom Derby and Oaks, the racing is far from out of this world. Several of the fields in the big handicaps are smaller than expected, bar the one I am really interested in: a cracking six-furlong handicap at Haydock Park (1.45) with 16 set to go to post.

The soft ground, although drying, makes this even more interesting with the likes of Bielsa (warm-up for the Wokingham), Golden Apollo, Cold Stare and TRUE MASON (nap) all particularly effective on this testing surface.

But it is the latter who is the most appealing, having plummeted in the weights in the past few months. Rated as high as 95 this time last year when he was campaigned up to seven furlongs, the bottom weight has always seemed best when locked away at the rear of the field with the hope that the front runners make it a real test at the trip.