Racing: Dettori back to Glory

Nash House is back in action today at Haydock. Richard Edmondson reports

The famous wounded return today. Lanfranco Dettori enjoys his first afternoon meeting since his fractured elbow healed, at Newmarket, while Nash House, the one-time Derby favourite until he poured pitch over his copybook at York, makes a comeback in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock.

With the greatest of respect to Frankie the day's spotlight is at Newton- le-Willows, where they have neither the breadth of hillside nor the number of huge white letters to spell out the attraction of the day's Group Three race. The event itself, though, merits a full auditorium.

Nash House was trumpeted as Peter Chapple-Hyam's most formidable weapon before he slithered away in the Dante Stakes in May. The Manton trainer recently told us the colt suffered a serious viral infection before that race, which might have been the sort of information to have on your side before joining a queue to support the horse at the Knavesmire.

Chapple-Hyam now reports that Nash House will need this race, and a more up-beat bulletin comes from the man who would be up-beat if he was lying in intensive care with tubes up his nostrils, Paul Kelleway. ''Kelloggs'' saddles Glory Of Dancer, who won the Dante before finishing fourth to Shaamit in the Derby.

The Epsom form may have caused aficionados to fill reservoirs of spittoons, but Glory Of Dancer did at least have the indisputable excuse that he did not last the full journey. The colt produced an unusually flamboyant piece of work under the tutelage of the man from the sick bed this week, and Dettori reported that his steed performed quite thrillingly. Glory Of Dancer (next best 3.15) will be hard to beat.

The opening televised race from Haydock should go to Equerry (2.45). Later on is the the sort of 21-runner sprint handicap that bookmakers exalt. If the fever takes you the option here is Youdontsay (3.50), only 3lb higher for an overdue success at Glorious Goodwood.

There is some form of compelling action at Newmarket this weekend when the town's open day tomorrow includes a five-a-side football competition between jockeys and trainers. As some of the latter struggle to be barely proficient in their chosen career it will be interesting to see how they manage in an alien forum. Whatever the fate of Team Snoot in the round ball game there will be many top class animals to visit as 29 of Newmarket's yards throw their gates open for inspection.

Certainly there will be more quality beasts in repose there than at the local July course the previous day. The first meagre offering on display this afternoon is the Dandelion Ladies Invitation Stakes. Roseate Lodge (3.05) has managed to get the stiffness out of his 10-year-old limbs on his two most recent starts and looks better than most.

Papita (3.35) and Yukon Hope (4.40) also have reasonable prospects, while it is about time the poor old beleaguered supporters of PRINCE BABAR (nap 4.10) got a break.

Cigar goes for his 17th straight success in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, California, today. A win would make him, mathematically, the greatest horse of the 20th century. The quest has been made easier by the career- ending injury this week of Soul Of The Matter, who ran Cigar so close in the Dubai World Cup in March.