St Leger meeting starts at Sunny Donny

Two years later it moved to its current home on Town Moor, and with the exception of shortening the distance to one mile six furlongs in 1813 it has been largely unchanged. It no longer carries the charisma of the QIPCO 2000 Guineas or Derby, two other Classic races for colts, but as the final leg of the British Triple Crown it occasionally rises in stature.

West Australian was the first horse to complete the feat in 1853, and Nijinsky the most recent in 1970, while the latest attempt to secure it took place two years ago. Camelot, trained by Aidan O'Brien, was odds-on to win the St Leger and land the Triple Crown following his QIPCO Guineas and Derby successes, but at Doncaster failed to collar Encke by three-quarters of a length.

Qatar Racing has yet to be represented in the race, but horses owned or associated with the banner will be in action at the four-day meeting which starts today. Cajoling and Mary McPhee are the first representatives in tomorrow's nursery (13.40), followed by Kiyoshi and Valonia in the Gr.3 Sceptre Stakes (14.10).

Gaudy lines up in the valuable Weatherbys sales race (15.15) while Brutus tackles the one-mile maiden (17.00).

A feature of Friday's card is the Gr.2 Flying Childers Stakes (13.40) in which recent Listed-race winnersAinippe and Mind Of Madness represent Qatar Racing.