JAMIE SPENCER'S appointment as number one jockey to Aidan O'Brien at the beginning of the season has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, but this afternoon at Haydock he can start to put the pieces back together by winning the Stanley Sprint board One Cool Cat (2.35).

Spencer's woe began as early as the English 2,000 in May, when One Cool Cat, a heavily-backed hot-favourite for the race, limped home in next to last place, a country mile behind the principals.

Jamie's kid-glove hold-up style of riding sometimes gives the impression he is giving those horses running up with the pace too much of an early advantage, a modus operandi which leads to many disgruntled punters tearing their tickets up in disgust when Spencer fails to deliver the goods.

If Jamie does not land today's £225,000 Group One showpiece his job as stable jockey to one of the most powerful racing stables in the world will surely be on the line, thoughs in One Cool Cat he at least has a magnificent-looking ally with which to go to war.

Prior to last month's Nunthorpe Stakes at York the son of Storm Cat strutted around the parade ring like a king among kings.

Once the stalls opened Spencer played his normal waiting game, sitting at the rear of the field for the first half of the contest. Not a great idea to my way of thinking in a five-furlong dash, and sure enough although One Cool Cat finished like an express train, he couldn't quite peg back Bahamian Pirate.

Spencer's salvation might lie with today's extra furlong, plus the adoption of a shade more positive tactics aboard One Cool Cat, who looks a good bet to get his revenge on Bahamian Pirate.

Luca Cumani's knack of getting his horses in with favourable weights for big-money handicaps seems all set to pay off once again, this time with Loves Travelling (2.05) in the £80,000 Old Borough Cup.

Loves Travelling comes into the mile-and-six-furlong contest with relatively few miles on the clock. The selection last ran 57 days ago, when putting up a much-improved effort to finish a half-length runner-up to Carte Diamond on the Knavesmire.

Cumani's four-year-old had plenty of top-flight handicappers behind him that day and in all probability would have won but for the hapless jockey Jamie Mackay getting his reins in a terrible tangle not far from the winning post.

Some very smart fillies clash in the £10,000 Hayward Stakes at Thirsk, notably Munaawashat and Perle d'Or (3.30).

Preference is marginally for the latter, unbeaten on all three outings so far this term and a typically progressive individual from the yard of former Derby-winning trainer, Willie Haggas.

In the preceding event for the Hambledon Cup, Asaleeb (3.00) has her sights on completing a well-deserved hat-trick.