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THE week before the Epsom Derby is traditionally one of the busiest Saturdays on the flat circuit with four big afternoon meetings full of competitive handicaps at Chester, Goodwood, Haydock and York, so it is important to sort the wheat from the chaff this afternoon.

The Merseyside track will be my first port of call and like all the meetings this weekend, good/fast ground will almost certainly be the order of the day.

The most fascinating runner at Haydock Park is going to be Little Big Bear in the Group Three Sandy Lane Stakes (3.00) following his demise in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. There was a viable excuse for that poor run, but back down to sprinting, he needs to bounce back big time here to secure his place in the Commonwealth Cup field at Royal Ascot.

He looked in fine condition at Newmarket and has always looked to have the physical make-up to become a cracking three-year-old and many will be taken in by the top price of 5/2 on offer and indeed in hindsight that could well be a very early Christmas gift.

But the percentage call is to play each-way elsewhere and at double figure odds MILL STREAM could well fit the bill. Jane Chapple-Hyam has her string in fabulous form at the moment and this son of Gleneagles could well surprise some higher rated performers here on his belated three-year-old debut.

Easy winner of his maiden as a juvenile at Doncaster, he was then just nutted in the closing stages by Noble Style in a novice before finishing a highly creditable fourth of nine to Chaldean in the Acomb Stakes at York.

That afternoon he patently failed to see out the seventh furlong and this drop in trip should be the making of him in his second season. Of course it is a tough ask first time up, but a big run here would make his odds of 40/1 for the Commonwealth Cup and 50/1 for the July Cup look outstanding value in their respective ante-post markets.

The Silver Bowl Handicap for three-year-olds over the round mile at 2.25 is the big betting race on the card and at least five of these could readily take the required step forward to make their handicap marks look very attractive and perhaps use this as a stepping stone to Listed and Group level.

Covey is the obvious place to start after completing a double with a near five-length win at Newcastle. However, that race wasn’t much of a test for this nice moving son of Frankel and off a mark of 90 this will require quite a marked step forward.

Gincident has been progressive for Richard Fahey, while Bodorgan is interesting on his second season debut for Charlie Hills, but in the end I have sided with STORMBUSTER. Andrew Balding has tried to stretch this son of Dubawi out to a mile and a quarter in both the Epsom Derby Trial and Dee Stakes at Chester, all to no avail with both the distance and soft going conditions against him on both occasions.

Returning to a sound surface over a mile and with Callum Hutchinson taking 3lbs off his back, the selection is set to run off a reduced mark of just 94 and should be competitive off that rating from a fair draw in box number seven.

A pound above his last winning mark when landing the Shergar Stayers Stakes last August, THEMAXWECAN looks sure to take all the beating in the extended two-mile handicap due off at 1.50. Set to race on his preferred fast ground, the seven-year-old gets the nod ahead of both the four-year-old Carzola, and Law of the Sea.

At York, ELDRICKJONES can get us off to a flying start in the opening 0-80 handicap at 1.35. Rated as high as 100 at this time last year, the son of Cotai Glory now gets the chance to race off a mark of just 81 and showed he retains enough of his old ability when sixth of 12, but beaten less than four lengths at Newcastle last time out.

Of the bigger prizes further down the card at the Knavesmire, MONDAMMEJ can improve on his closing fourth at the track nine days ago when he lines up for the class two, five-furlong handicap at 2.40. He has fellow course winners Copper Knight and Bedford Flyer to beat in this competitive speed test.

SEA FLAWLESS is taken to make another step forward when she lines up for the Group Three Bronte Cup at 3.15, while CRUYFF TURN (nap) can step up on his slightly disappointing seventh in the Hambleton Handicap when he lines up for the seven furlong affair at 5.00.

At Goodwood I shall be having a lumpy wager on NATHANAEL GREENE in the mile-and-three-quarter handicap at 3.10. He made stealthy late headway when racing over a mile and a half on soft ground at Ascot last time out. He showed he could handle the undulations at Goodwood last season and can see off the unbeaten Gosden four-year-old Courage Mon Ami. CRYSTAL ESTRELLA is taken to defy top weight in the mile-and-a-half handicap at 4.20, while the finale at 4.55 has LOVE AFFAIRS written all over it.

Finally, the best bet at Chester could come in the form of PONS AELIUS in the 3.35. The Johnston runner showed his turn was just around the corner when finishing second in a better race at Newmarket, and this looks an easier challenge for the four-year-old.