ALL attention will be on the Derby and Oaks at Epsom this weekend.

Also there are plenty of meetings up north this week - Chester, Newcastle, Beverley and Haydock have some very good racing. I have Swan at Whalley entered at Newcastle and Chester on Wednesday, also at Haydock on Thursday and I cannot make my mind up which meeting to go to, but I think the best race is at Haydock.

The unfortunate pointer is that he has run at Haydock twice in his career, but has never run well there.

On Friday night (Ladies Night) at Haydock I've entered Ribble Assembly in the Red Rose Handicap for Lady and Gentlemen Amateur Riders and booked the champion herself Emma Ramsden.

Emma has already won for me this year on Swan At Whalley and she rides as well as many professionals and will win the Amateur Riders Championships again this year.

Ribble Assembly has been in the paddock since his disappointing last run, so we have freshened him up and expect a big run on Friday evening.

The Derby on Saturday looks a lottery with no short-price favourite this time. I have been a strong supporter of Beat All, but with heavy rain forecast for Wednesday, he will not get the fast ground he needs, so I have chosen two horses, Oath (Henry Cecil) and Housemaster (Michael Bell) and will bet on them both each-way.

In the Oaks on Friday I will look no further than Zahrat Dubai whom I was so impressed with at York. She has an excellent turn of foot and I expect her to win very easily for Frankie Dettori. In the Vodafone Coronation Cup on Friday I expect Silver Patriarch and Royal Anthem to fight out the finish, but I will be on Silver Patriarch to triumph with his Epsom experience. Tomorrow at Goodwood, Gary Steven's the American champion jockey who has come to ride in Britain for Sir Michael Stoute, should score on Mary Stuart for his new governor.

Also on Wednesday, Richard Fahey who horses are in cracking form, could bring off a four-timer with Pandjojoe.

On Thursday, I expect Mick Ryan and Ray Cochrane to have a double at Haydock with Top Jem and Doc Ryan's.

Have a good week.

Wednesday (Goodwood) - Mary Stuart (NAP), (Newcastle) Pandjojoe

Thursday (Haydock) - Top Gem (NAP) Swan at Whalley (EW)

Friday (Epsom (Vodafone Oaks) - Zahrat Dubai (NAP), Coronation Cup: Silver Patriarch (NAP)

Saturday (Epsom Vodafone Derby) - Oath (NAP), Housemaster (EW)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.