The Ascot Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Meeting gets under way on Friday 28th September with the centre piece being the £200,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes for 3 yo's + over the one mile round course on Saturday 29th. The Saturday card has two supporting Group races with the £200,000 Group 1 Fillies Mile for 2 yo fillies and the £125,000 Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes for 2 yo's over one mile. As usual Aidan O'Brien has a strong hand in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes with George Washington going for back to back wins. Perhaps he can get his first win of the season. He was a super winner of the race last year. The race is always won by a top class miler as can be seen from previous winners from past years. The race was first run in 1955 and I have collated all the winners since 1959 at the end of the blog for those who want to go down memory lane. Of course it was Saturday's card in 1996 that Frankie Dettori rode all seven winners. The accumulator odds on the seven winners came to 25095/1 and broke quite a few bookmakers. Andre Fabre sends over the 1000 Guineas favourite Proviso for the Fillies Mile. It will be interesting to see how good she is. There are two Group races on the Sunday with the £90,000 Group 2 Diadem Stakes, a sprint for 3 yo's+ over 6 furlongs and the £50,000 Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes for 3 yo's+ over one and half miles. Young Mick who won the Cumberland Lodge last year makes his seasonal reappearance in this race. Balthazaar's Gift from the in form Luca Cumani stable will be an interesting runner in the Diadem Stakes. For the racecards with the runners and riders go to the sporting life. Now here are those previous winners of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes since 1959. 1959 Rosalba, 1960 Sovereign Path (run at Newbury), 1961 Le Levanstell, 1962 Romulus, 1963 The Creditor (run at Newbury again), 1964 Linacre, 1965 Derring-Do, 1966 Hill Rise, 1967 Reform, 1968 World Cup, 1969 Jimmy Reppin, 1970 Welsh Pageant, 1971 Brigadier Gerard, 1972 Brigadier Gerard, 1973 Jan Ekels, 1974 No Meeting (as heavy rain waterlogged course), 1975 Rose Bowl, 1976 Rose Bowl, 1977 Trusted, 1978 Homing, 1979 Kris, 1980 Known Fact, 1981 To-Agori-Mou, 1982 Buzzards Bay, 1983 Sackford, 1984 Teleprompter, 1985 Shadeed, 1986 Sure Blade, 1987 Milligram, 1988 Warning, 1989 Zilzal, 1990 Mark of Distinction, 1991 Selkirk, 1992 Lahib, 1993 Bigstone, 1994 Maroof, 1995 Bahri, 1996 Mark of Esteem, 1997 Air Express, 1998 Desert Prince, 1999 Dubai Millennium, 2000 Observatory, 2001 Summoner, 2002 Where or When, 2003 Falbrav, 2004 Rakti, 2005 Starcraft, 2006 George Washington. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

The £121,000 Ayr Gold Cup for 3yo's+ will be run over 6 furlongs on Saturday. The first Ayr Gold Cup winner I ever backed was Compensation way back in 1964. He was a super sprinter who needed an easy surface to show his best form. In those days the race used to be run on a Friday. It started raining on the Sunday before and by Friday the conditions seemed ideal for Compensation. He started joint favourite at 10/1 and apparantly was given a superb ride by the late Peter Robinson to win the race by about three lengths. I had to be content with listening to the race on my trusty transistor radio while sitting on Southend pier. Deep joy ! Horses that run well in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood and the Portland at York have a good record in this race, as has anything that David (Dandy) Nicholls decides to run. In 2000 he had eight runners in the race one of which was the winner Bahamian Pirate. He trained the winners of the race in 2001 with Continent, and in 2002 and 2004 with Funfair Wane. This year he has the possible favourite with Indian Trail. Fullanby won the Portland and could defy the penalty. The weather forecast for the north of the country is rain, so the going as usual will be a big factor. Provided it is not too soft I hope Borderlescott will carry his top weight to victory. He has been knocking on the door with his last two runs, one of which was nearly winning the Stewards Cup for the second year running. He ran second to Fonthill Road in this race last year. I remember Roman Warrior carrying top weight of ten stone in heavy ground when he won the race in 1975. He was a colossus of a horse well up to carrying big weights. Lets hope Borderlesscott can repeat the feat. For your racecards with the runners and riders go to the sporting life. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

ATR gave the armchair viewer a real treat by covering all the races from Doncaster over the four days. Channel 4's coverage of four races on Friday and Saturday was as usual excellent. Highlight on Friday was Septimus showing what a good stayer he is by winning the Doncaster Cup. He looks a ready made replacement for Yeats when he has finished racing. As expected Yeats won the Irish St Leger for Aidan O'Brien but only after a struggle with his stable companion Scorpion. The Aidan O'Brien quartet had to watch Lucarno win the Doncaster St Leger. He was clearly the best horse on the day but I cannot help thinking if the race was run again we would have a different result. Macarthur was hemmed in against the rails when looking full of running and even clipped Mahler's heels which did not help his run to the line. Johnny Murtagh considered the pace was not quick enough for Honolulu when interviewed after the race. It was certainly Lucarno's finishing speed that won him the race. John Gosden stated that Lucarno would be kept to the mile and half races next year. Also at Doncaster, where the crowds were huge on Saturday, Fullanby won the Portland Sprint and could follow up under a penalty in the Ayr Gold Cup on Saturday 22nd September. At the Curragh on Sunday New Approach showed he was something special when winning the National Stakes. He is now ante-post favourite for next years 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Over in France on Sunday Passage of Time showed that she does stay one and half miles when running third in the Prix Vermeille. The excuse for her Oaks flop was that she did not stay. As usual the Arc trials were not very conclusive. Manduro beat Mandesha in the Prix Foy. Unfortunately Manduro's racing career has been curtailed through an injury sustained in the race. Andre Fabre has stated that he was the best horse he has trained. Some compliment considering the good horses he has trained over the years. Soldier of Fortune won the Prix Niel. It will be interesting to see who Aidan O'Brien runs in the Arc. He has Soldier of Fortune who would be helped by softish ground, Dylan Thomas, Peeping Fawn and possibly Yeats. It is building up into an interesting race in Paris on Sunday 7th October where Authorized remains the ante-post favourite. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

The Injured Jockeys Fund's Christmas Cards, Calendars and a wide range of gifts are now available from www.ijf.org.uk Once on their site click on 2007 catalogue. Proceeds from Christmas trading last year set a new record for the Injured Jockeys Fund. Gross proceeds including donations and VAT totalled £955,000. The target for this year is £1,000,000. Lets hope they make it. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

Racing returns to Doncaster racecourse on Wednesday 12th September after a huge redevelopment sees a new grandstand which will be opened by the Princess Royal before racing. The feature race on Wednesday will be the £300,000 St Leger 2 yo Stakes over 6 furlongs. Thursday has the £100,000 Park Hill Stakes as its main race. This is also known as the fillies St Leger as it is for 3 yo's+ over the St Leger distance. There are a couple of good supporting races with the £75,000 May Hill Stakes, a race for 2 yo's over 1 mile, and the Septre Stakes, a race for 3 yo's+ over 7 furlongs. Friday has the Group 2 £100,00 Doncaster Cup as its main race. This race is for 3 yo's+ over two and quarter miles. Another Group 2, the £75,000 Flying Childers Stakes, a race for 2 yo's over 5 furlongs will also be run on Friday. Saturday looks as though it will be a fabulous afternoons racing. The £180,000 Group 1 St Leger Stakes will be supported by the Group 2 £100,000 Champagne Stakes, a race for 2 yo's over 7 furlongs, the Group 2 £100,000 GNER Park Stakes, a race for 3 yo's+ over 7 furlongs and the Ladbrokes Portland Handicap, a sprint for 3 yo's+ over 5 furlongs with prize money of £75,000. After his terrific run on only his fourth race course appearance in the Ebor at York, Honolulu is a worthy favourite for the Group 1 St Leger Stakes. Provided he has recovered from those excertions he should win the St Leger Stakes on Saturday. For those who want to travel down memory lane I have collated all the winners of the race since 1959 when I had my first experience of the St Leger. For all the runners and riders go to racecards at the sporting life. I left King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford in 1958 and was made to get a proper job not long after that. I had to join the local firm of Marconi Wireless and Telegraph and train as an Accountant. In those days when you joined a firm it was a job for life. Not much chance of that with me. When I started work I was given a desk next to a quiet unassuming guy who seemed to have an awful lot of visitors. They all passed him brown envelopes and some would be back to collect further brown envelopes. Yes, they had given me a desk next to the companies' bookies runner. What chance had I got ? It was obviously easy to get a bet on. I could complete my weeks work on a Monday, had a day off for college on a Wednesday and spend the other three days trying to look busy. Plenty of time to study form. I have mentioned in an earlier blog how I was taken to Ascot in 1959 to see the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. That day I backed Cantelo who finished fourth to Alcide who had won the St Leger Stakes the previous season. She was a three year old filly owned by bookmaker William Hill. Her next run was in the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster where she appeared to be given an easy race and was beaten when she should have won easily. Two days later she lined up against the colts in the St Leger Stakes and won the race by a length and a half from Fidalgo who had finished second to Parthia in the Derby that season. The victory sparked a certain amount of vocal disapproval when she entered the winners enclosure. The owner being a bookmaker did not help matters. There were rumblings of sharp practice, but it was more of jockey error in riding tactics in the Park Hill Stakes on the Thursday. All of this did not bother me as I had remained faithful to her and placed a bet with the bookies runner at 100/7. I became very bored with working at Marconi's and left them in 1960. The experience was not all bad as it was here that I met my wife Brenda. I certainly backed a winner there. The St Leger Stakes was first run in 1776, the first winner being Allabaculla. Here are the winners since 1959. 1959 Cantelo, 1960 St Paddy, 1961 Aurelius, 1962 Hethersett, 1963 Ragusa, 1964 Indiana, 1965 Provoke, 1966 Sodium, 1967 Ribocco, 1968 Ribero, 1969 Intermezzo, 1970 Nijinsky, 1971 Athens Wood, 1972 Boucher, 1973 Peleid, 1974 Bustino, 1975 Bruni, 1976 Crow, 1977 Dunfermline, 1978 Julio Mariner, 1979 Son of Love, 1980 Light Cavalry, 1981 Cut Above, 1982 Touching Wood, 1983 Sun Princess, 1984 Commanche Run (race now sponsored by Holsten Pils), 1985 Oh So Sharp, 1986 Moon Madness, 1987 Reference Point, 1988 Minster Son, 1989 Michelozzo (run at Ayr as Doncaster ground unsafe), 1990 Snurge, 1991 Toulon (sponsor now Coalite), 1992 User Friendly, 1993 Bobs Return, 1994 Moonax (sponsor now Teleconnection), 1995 Classic Cliche (sponsor now Pertemps), 1996 Shantou, 1997 Silver Patriarch, 1998 Nedawi, 1999 Mutafaweq (sponsor now Rothmans Royals), 2000 Millenary, 2001 Milan, 2002 Bollin Eric, 2003 Brian Boru (sponsor now Seabiscuit), 2004 Rule of Law (sponsor now Betfair), 2005 Scorpion (sponsor now Ladbrokes), 2006 Sixties Icon. For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".

If Sakee's Secret turns up in the same form as at Newmarket for the July Cup then he should win the Haydock Sprint Cup. This race was inaugurally run in 1966 as the Vernons November Sprint Cup, a race over 6 furlongs for competitors of all ages. The race was the brain child of John Hughes to be run on the lines of Longchamp's Prix de L'Abbaye. In 1966 the race was won by Sir Peter O'Sullivans two year old Be Friendly. He went on to win the race again in 1967. The race was fogged off in 1968 when he was well fancied to complete a hat trick of wins. In 1970 the race was moved to be run at the end of October and then in 1979 moved again to be run in September before Longchamp's Prix de L'Abbaye. For all the runners and riders for this years race go to racecards at the sporting life. For those who want to go down memory lane I have collated all the winners since its conception in 1966. 1966 Be Friendly, 1967 Be Friendly, 1968 No race, 1969 Tudor Music, 1970 Golden Orange, 1971 Green God, 1972 Abergwaun, 1973 The Blues, 1974 Princely Son, 1975 Lianga, 1976 Record Token, 1977 Boldboy, 1978 Absalom ( I was on at 20/1 ), 1979 Double Form, 1980 Moorstyle, 1981 Runnett, 1982 Indian King, 1983 Habibti, 1984 Petong, 1985 Orojoya, 1986 Green Desert, 1987 Ajdal, 1988 Dowsing, 1989 Danehill ( the race became known as the Ladbroke Sprint Cup), 1990 Dayjur, 1991 Polar Falcon, 1992 Sheikh Albadou (no sponsor of the race), 1993 Wolfhound ( race now known as Hazlewood Foods Sprint Cup), 1994 Lavinia Fontana (no race sponsor), 1995 Cherokee Rose, 1996 Iktamal, 1997 Royal Applause, 1998 Tamarisk (race now sponsored by Stanley Leisure) 1999 Diktat, 2000 Pipalong, 2001 Nuclear Debate, 2002 Invincible Spirit, 2003 Somnus, 2004 Tante Rose, 2005 Goodricke (race sponsored by William Hill), 2006 Reverence (race now called Betfred Sprint Cup as it is this year). For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".