Owen’s Temple target

RACING: MANCHESTER United striker Michael Owen is on the trail of Group 2 glory with his sprinter, Blue Jack

The five-year-old heads for the betfred.com Temple Stakes at Haydock on Saturday with every chance of success.

Bought out of Willie Muir’s stable at the end of last season, Blue Jack – part owned by Owen – has looked an improved performer since being transferred to the yard of Tom Dascombe.

The trainer, lured by Owen to his superb training set-up in Malpas, Cheshire, has conjured improvement from Blue Jack, who was competing in handicaps last season.

Said Dascombe: “We bought him with a view to running him in plenty of the big Saturday handicaps, but it is now obvious he is Group class.

“It would be great to win at Haydock on Saturday, but we have to turn the tables with horses which beat him at Newmarket last time.

“We did not have the best of draws that day and if we can get drawn in the middle at Haydock then we have a chance.”

Blue Jack was third to Equiano and Borderlescott in Newmarket’s Palace House Stakes last time, having earlier bolted up in a Newbury handicap.

All three are in Saturday’s race, along with Sir Michael Stoute’s Kingsgate Native.