Flat or jumps? No need to choose at Haydock's unique Swinton meeting

Racing fans are often asked if they prefer following the Flat or jumps, and even those who claim not to will have a secret soft spot for one.

Fortunately there is something for everyone at Haydock, which stages Britain's only mixed card with a Grade 3 handicap hurdle swiftly followed by the Listed Spring Trophy over seven furlongs.

Mixed meetings are at the heart of big Irish festivals such as Galway and were once more frequent in Britain. People of a certain vintage, or with access to the internet, may even remember Red Rum dead-heated in a sprint on his debut on a mixed card at Aintree in 1967.