Major Events

Doncaster Racecourse

Leger Way

Doncaster

DN2 6BB

http://www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk

The St Leger is the world’s oldest Classic, with a rich history dating back to 1776, and has returned to the newly developed state-of-the-art Doncaster racecourse. Like Epsom on Derby Day, there is an aura about St Leger Day which continues to exert a special pull for racing enthusiasts from around the world.

The Group 1 St Leger is the only Classic run in the north of England, annually proving one of the most popular days out for the racing-mad Yorkshire public.

As the fifth and final British Classic of the year, it provides the last great test of the season for the three-year-old generation. While the other Classics have separate versions for colts and fillies, the St Leger brings together the best of each sex – just one of the factors which give the race its unique appeal.

Another reason is the race’s distance – one mile, six furlongs and 132 yards. In the modern era of speed-obsessed racing, the St Leger provides an unusual and fascinating examination of a horse’s staying power and determination.

Doncaster’s first class facilities will offer racegoers a thoroughly modern sporting day out. The grandstands are comfortable and offer great viewing, while the paddock is perfectly situated to allow racegoers to see the runners at close quarters.

Ayr Racecourse

2 Whitletts Road

Ayr

KA8 OJE

http://www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk

The most prestigious Flat meeting in Scotland and one of the most popular in the whole racing calendar, attracting racegoers from far and near.

Ayr is renowned for its warm and friendly atmosphere, and its popularity with trainers and owners ensures that the racing is always ultra-competitive.

The six-furlong William Hill Ayr Gold Cup, the feature race of the three-day meeting, is one of the season’s most sought-after sprint handicaps. A sign of the Gold Cup’s high standing is that successful trainers such as David Chapman and Jack Berry have described winning the race as one of the highlights of their careers.

The huge number of entries for the Gold Cup has spawned the William Hill Silver Cup for those horses which fail to make the cut for the main event. Run on the Friday over the same distance, the Silver Cup is now a major prize in its own right and just as competitive as its big brother.

The highlight of the first day is the Harry Rosebery Stakes, a five-furlong race for two-year-olds, which is another highly prized event for the region’s trainers.

The Gold Cup draws a big crowd on the Saturday, producing a wonderful atmosphere. Indeed, the whole week is a major social event, with many visitors taking the opportunity to combine the racing with golf or other relaxation along the marvellous west coast of Scotland.

Newmarket Racecourse Office

Westfield House

Cambridge Road

Newmarket, Suffolk

CB8 0TG

http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/index.html

The Cambridgeshire meeting marks the return to the Rowley Mile racecourse for the big autumn events and, like Newmarket’s other major fixtures, offers compelling racing at one of Britain’s best and most historic venues.

Quality is the watchword on all three days. Thursday features the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs, one of the major end-of-season championship races for two-year-old fillies. The card also includes the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes, another well-established race for the leading juveniles, run over seven furlongs.

Friday features the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, run over the same distance as the Cheveley Park but this time giving the top two-year-old colts their chance to stake a claim for championship honours. The Group 3 Joel Stakes, over a mile, is also on the programme.

Saturday’s card includes the nine-furlong Cambridgeshire, one of the best-known and most competitive handicaps of the year. The race is the first leg of the Autumn Double at Newmarket, which is completed by the marathon Cesarewitch on Champions Day later in the month, and is a highly-prized event.

The programme also includes two important fillies’ races - the Group 2 Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile and the Oh So Sharp Stakes, another key event for the leading juveniles.

Newmarket Racecourse Office

Westfield House

Cambridge Road

Newmarket, Suffolk

CB8 0TG

http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/index.html

This two day meeting offers the very best in Flat racing. The focal point is Champions Day, which boasts six Group races and more than £1m in prize-money.

This is as good as it gets in a single day’s racing, attracting the international cream of the crop for a grand finale as the European season nears its close.

The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes is the main event. It is the last European Group 1 race of the year over a mile and a quarter and always attracts a top-class field, with championship honours still up for grabs.

The Darley Dewhurst Stakes, the day’s other Group 1 race, also plays a major role in identifying an overall champion – in this case, the top two-year-old colt of the season. The race is the main testing ground for the following year’s 2,000 Guineas hopefuls.

Champions Day also features two Group 2 races – the seven-furlong Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes and the Owen Brown Rockfel Stakes, run over the same distance and an important end-of-season test for two-year-old fillies.

The Group 3 events are the Newmarket Darley Stakes and the Jockey Club Cup for stayers, while, last but not least, is the Tote Cesarewitch – the last of the season’s great staying handicaps. Run over the marathon distance of 2m2f, the Cesarewitch is famous as the only race to be held in two counties, crossing from Cambridgeshire into Suffolk during running.