Thursday 14 September 2000
The racing day is under starter's orders with an essential guide to what's on.
The racing day is under starter's orders with an essential guide to what's on.
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| 20:30-21:00 |
| Endurance Racing: Wicklow Hills, Ireland |
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Tarik Tehir is back to defend his Endurance Racing title against over 70 riders from nine different countries in this latest horse racing event from Wicklow Hills in Ireland.
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Doncaster Racecourse
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Doncaster Racecourse
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As the fanatical racing fan will know, the end of the week sees the final Classic of the millennium season in the St Leger from Doncaster (pictured), due to be run on Saturday afternoon.
The course itself is emotively historical, with racing recorded there as early as 1600 (if not before), but was prohibited in 1615 on the grounds of “quarrels, murders, and bloodsheds!”
In 1751, after numerous attempts at other months, Doncaster moved their main meeting to September where it has remained until the present day where it is now one of the most popular meetings of the entire racing calendar nationwide.
Progress continued and in 1766, the first Doncaster Cup was run for the princely sum of £80 and was won by Lord Archibald Hamilton’s Charlotte – insignificant at the time, but how were they to know the race would still be run two hundred and thirty four years later?
Meanwhile, in nearby Park Hill Mansion, Colonel Anthony St Leger (pronounced Sellinger) was coming to the conclusion that three was the ideal racing age, and was considering a plan to attract the best colts and fillies to a race at Doncaster’s September meeting. On 24 September 1776, the world’s first Classic race was run at Cantley Common before being transferred to the course at Town Moor where it has remained ever since, with the exception of wartime substitute races. Although an unnamed race in 1776, this was the first effective running of the St Leger which was officially named two years later in 1778 in honour of the man whose inspiration had brought racing a huge step forward in the United Kingdom.
Since then, this mile and three quarter race has been the final leg of racing’s illusive Triple Crown (2000 Guineas, Derby, St Leger), though due to the fact that the breeders now seem to run racing, it’s importance has waned in recent years as stayers are not fashionable at the moment.
However, famous winners have included Nijinsky, Touching Wood, Oh So Sharp, and Reference Point, while last year’s winner Mutafaweq showed incredible bravery to out battle Ramruma before collapsing from his efforts, though the loudest roar of the day was certainly reserved for when he recovered!
For the statisticians among us, Doncaster is described as a left handed pear shaped course of a furlong short of two miles and is exceptionally flat with the exception of a slight climb one and a quarter miles from the finish. It is one of the fairest courses in the country and will give no excuses for those who are beaten on the day, but readers should remember that a low draw could become essential in the sprint races on soft or heavier ground.
Jockeys who are particularly successful here include Michael Hills and Kevin Darley, while trainers to follow are Saeed Bin Suroor, Henry Cecil, and Roger Charlton, based on their winning percentages over the past five years.
Finally, there is a famous racing saying that perhaps deserves repeating here:-
“The fittest horse wins the Two Thousand Guineas, the luckiest horse
wins the Derby, but the best horse wins the St Leger!" |
